Research has revealed that pigs, cows, chickens, and other farm animals have sophisticated cognitive and emotional lives that demand moral consideration.
The cognitive complexity of farm animals is consistently underestimated and rarely incorporated into husbandry or welfare standards. An animal that can feel social bonds, remember past experiences, and anticipate future events has a richer inner life than a purely reactive organism — and can therefore suffer more comprehensively when confined, isolated, or denied behavioral expression.