Would you rather live a normal life and at some point be mauled to death, or live your entire life in a prison and at some point be killed more painlessly?
Yes, animals suffer and die in the wild. They also suffer and die in captivity, just in different measures, but I would argue they suffer more as farm animals.
If by “normal life” you mean a life riddled with far more anxiety and danger than I currently have, then I guess it would depend on the prison, but I’m leaning towards prison. This is particularly true if I were to lack boredom and the overbearing curiosity that humans have. Turns out, most animals (especially herbivores) don’t get bored and don’t experience curiosity in the same way humans do. It’s almost like we’re different species with different brains.
Also, most animals aren’t people, and my answer doesn’t actually change the utility values.
No, not at all, it’s the safest life available to them, in terms of likelihood for disease and life expectancy.
If you really want prison, it’s available to you and you do get food and medical care free.
Herbivores still get bored and try to escape, so they probably don’t love it.
I would love a source that they don’t though. It’s my understanding that that’s why zoos are hard to run.
