The Humane Society of the United States says it's cruel and inhumane.

Farmers counter that these are standard practices necessary to supply the huge consumer demand for eggs, pork and veal.

The debate will come to a head Nov. 3 when voters statewide decide State Issue 2, a proposal to amend the Ohio Constitution to create a 13-member Ohio Livestock Standards Board.

If Issue 2 passes, Ohio livestock and poultry producers likely will face new regulations many may find objectionable and costly. But most of them agree that such bad-tasting medicine is preferable to Humane Society proposals that would cause major changes in how animals and poultry are raised.

"We have some farmers that don't want any regulation," said Dick Isler, executive vice president of the Ohio Pork Producers Council and an Issue 2 supporter.

"It's unusual we would be asking for this, but this is a far better alternative than having an outside animal-rights group tell Ohioans how to raise their animals."

Paul Shapiro, head of the national Humane Society's factory farming section, argues that Ohio badly needs an animal-care regulatory overhaul like ones in place or in motion in seven other states, including Michigan.

"We're not talking about bad guys or people purposely trying to harm animals," Shapiro said. "These are standard industry practices that are clearly inhumane practices so severe that animals are virtually immobilized for their entire lives."

Leaders of three major trade organizations -- the Ohio Poultry Association, the Ohio Cattlemen's Association and the pork producers -- acknowledged that the conditions cited by the Humane Society are used at the vast majority of Ohio farms.

But they deny that the practices are inhumane and say the animals are probably better off than if they were raised without the confining cages and crates.

In case there's any doubt about this being big business, consider Ohio's 2008 agriculture numbers:

• 4 million pigs were raised on 4,000 farms. Another 170,000 sows were used for breeding.

• 27 million hens laid 7.1 billion eggs. There were 57.5 million chickens and 6 million turkeys raised for meat.

• 1.2 million beef cattle came from 15,000 farms. Another 700,000 calves were marketed for veal.

State lawmakers rushed to put the constitutional amendment on the ballot this year at the urging of Ohio's $93-billion-a-year agribusiness industry. They feared the national Humane Society would mount a ballot issue to enact more humane "confinement standards" for breeding pigs, egg-laying hens and veal calves.

If Issue 2 is approved, the board would have authority to set standards about how farm animals and poultry are raised. The General Assembly would pass enabling legislation and the members would be appointed, but no one would have direct oversight of the board.

Farm industry interests hope passage of the amendment will effectively block the Humane Society. Nevertheless, society officials say they plan to return to Ohio next year with a ballot issue.

The society's proposal here, as in other states, would require that pigs, hens and veal calves be raised in conditions that allow them to lie down, turn around and extend their limbs or wings. Residents in Arizona, Florida and California voted decisively in favor of the Human Society proposals.

Jim Chakeres, executive vice president of the Ohio Poultry Association, said changes sought by the Humane Society would require a "complete change in the way that birds are raised in this state It would result in an increase to the egg farmer and an increase in price to the consumer."

Elizabeth Harsh, executive director of the Ohio Cattlemen's Association, said Ohio, as the fourth-leading veal-producing state, has "recognized the obligation to the animals raised on those farms and has initiated an industry-wide conversion plan" away from confinement crates.

"Maintaining the status quo is not an option," Harsh said. "We want Ohio experts to oversee all animal-care issues, and not rely on an out-of-state activist agenda."

ajohnson@dispatch.com