The animal agriculture industry had a busy week proving it can always find new depths to plumb. From North Carolina State University researchers congratulating themselves on shaving four minutes off the time it takes to suffocate chickens, to the beef-on-dairy pipeline quietly turning male calves into a supply chain “opportunity,” to a USDA food safety apparatus held together with 9% fewer staff and apparently a prayer — there’s a lot to unpack. Oh, and plant-based food is quietly staging a comeback, which is the best reason to keep listening. Ventilation shutdown with humidity gets an endorsement — researchers found it kills broiler chickens about four minutes faster than heat alone, because apparently “slightly less horrific” is now a publishable finding Beef-on-dairy cattle are booming — and with them, a spike in bovine respiratory disease, because confining newborn calves in plastic hutches within days of birth has predictable consequences that take studies to notice USDA food safety complaints jumped nearly 40% after the Trump administration cut 9% of FSIS staff and shelved new salmonella standards for raw poultry — turns out fewer inspectors means more things slip through The Animal Agriculture Alliance is sounding the alarm about animal activists “posing as farmers” by supporting laws like Prop 12, a concern so elaborate it includes outrage over a goat yoga practitioner being counted in a farm coalition Plant-based food is returning to growth — a new Systemiq/ProVeg report says UK plant-based protein share could double by 2040, and retailers (not consumers) are the key lever; Tesco’s plant-based meat is already 33% cheaper than minced beef We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview. _____________________________________________ Thank you for listening to the Our Hen House podcast! If you enjoy our podcasts, believe in our mission to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals, find community and solace in our shows and resources, and would like to show your support for vegan indie media, please make a donation today.  Contributions of any amount will go towards our fundraising goal and are hugely appreciated. Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, so it’s tax-deductible. Thank you for helping us create quality content! Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcatcher, and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review! Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series. Follow us on social media! You can find Our Hen House on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, or Bluesky. The Our Hen House theme song is written and performed by Michael Harren.