Sentient means a creature (Man and others) which has the standard range of five senses and can have an emotional response to situations through those senses. Example – if a horse is pulling a cart and feels a whip strike across its back its sentient reaction is to run forward to try and escape the source of pain, however, as it is shackled to the cart the effect is to have the cart pulled faster. One question might be, if it is whipped thousands of times in its life does the sentient response just give up, does the animal give up on sentient life? An important question, see later.
The above book, bought remaindered from Amazon, is mostly about various breeds of cattle and how their distinctive features have been mostly bred out by modern or historic selective breeding; and about some farmers who are trying to reverse the trend. The ‘black and white’ (Holstein breed) cows of most dairy herds grazing in the fields are a product of select breeding, the object being to produce a cow that produces more milk than other breeds – and can still stand up. Even though the animals are cared for and live outdoors is this process right? see later. It is generally accepted across the globe, but not everywhere that cows/cattle are sentient beings. A few years ago, and as a result of years of campaigning by Compassion in Farming and other animal welfare charities, the executive of the European Union accepted the principal that farm animals/birds are ‘sentient beings’, and that this belief should direct farming practices and policies. Britain is no longer in the E.U. but British people generally are perceived to be ‘animal loving’. Despite the above, it seeds to be stated that the E.U. has not been quick to promote farm animal rights and, when they have, they have allowed a long timescale for reform (my opinion, not necessarily that of the above author).
(to be continued).