Ethics and environment
What happens to farmed animals if everyone goes vegan?
Short answer
The shift would be gradual, not overnight. Falling demand means less farming and fewer purpose-bred animals. It is not a story in which cows take over cities.
The Vegan Society stresses realism: people do not go vegan all at once. Farming follows purchases — less milk and meat means fewer pregnancies, hatches and slaughter. Utility breeds (broilers, layers, dairy cattle) are selected for yield, not for life in the wild; “release them all onto a meadow” is not a plan anyone serious is offering.
Land from pasture and feed could return to wildlife. Hobbyists and sanctuaries would keep small numbers. “What about the hens” does not cancel the fact that we currently breed them to kill or to wring out laying — and that demand can fall.