Yields vary dramatically: some farms produce as much as 150 pounds per acre each year while others produce little. Typical yields in Europe range between 25 and 35 pounds per acre each year, but as methods improve many more farms are achieving yields in excess of 100 pounds per acre.
With bodies taxed beyond belief, chickens who survive their time in production are often slaughtered at just 42 days old. They are still âpeepingâ the sound of baby chicks when they are killed â even though their bodies have ballooned to the size of giant adult chickens in this short time due to industry practices.
Most feeders/finishers are slaughtered at around 18 to 24 months of age, however finisher cattle are slaughtered according to a particular target finish weight they have to reach, not by their age.This is because there are variations in how cattle are finished due to their breeding, genetics and sex.Continentals will take a shorter time to finish because they tend to reach target weight much sooner due to their high growth rates, and may be ready for slaughter by the time they are 12 to 18 months of age. A pig is usually slaughtered between six and ten months of age, depending on what it is used for (bacon, sausages, pork etc), the breed, and growth rate.