Birds
Birds
More than 10 billion chickens and over a quarter billion turkeys are killed for food in the U.S. each year and are the most abused animals on our planet. Don’t fool yourself- many of these facts are true for those birds labeled “free range” or “organic.”
Genetic Modification
Both chickens and turkeys have been genetically altered to grow as big as possible in the shortest amount of time. Turkeys are bred to grow larger breasts and chickens are bred to grow larger breasts and thighs. They grow so large so quickly that their legs are often crippled by their massive body weight. Heart attacks and organ failure are also common from being so grossly overweight. By the age of 6 weeks, 90% of chickens are so obese that they can no longer walk.
Mutilation
After hatching, both chickens and turkeys have the ends of their beaks cut off with a searing hot blade. Turkeys also have their toes cut off. All of this is done without any anesthesia. You’re probably thinking that a chicken having it’s beak cut off is no more painful than clipping your fingernails, but it is probably closer to having the tips of your fingers cut off. While I’ve never had the tips of my fingers cut off, I can imagine that it is excruciatingly painful. It certainly isn’t something on my “to do” list before I die. Why do farms engage in this cruel practice? To keep them from pecking at each other from stress caused by cruel confinement.
Cruel Living Conditions
Birds raised for their meat and eggs spend their entire lives in filthy sheds. They never go outdoors. Intense crowding and confinement lead to outbreaks of disease and many suffer from chronic respiratory disease (from the intense ammonia odor from the waste), weakened immune systems, bronchitis and “ammonia burn,” a painful eye condition. 98% of chicken carcasses are contaminated with E. coli bacteria by the time they reach market, largely because of the filthy conditions they are raised in. Factory farmed birds are usually fed a diet of antibiotics and arsenic-based feed to increase their weight. In fact, chicken meat in the U.S. contains 3 to 4 times as much arsenic as other types of meat. Additionally, chickens are given medications to prevent internal parasites, which are toxic to humans. Residues from these medications can contaminate their meat.
Egg-Laying Hens
340 million hens are raised for eggs. That’s nearly one hen for every person in the U.S. Egg-laying hens are subject to the same abuses as chickens raised for meat, including having their beaks cut off, cruel confinement, and filthy living conditions. They are crammed together so tightly that they are never able to lift a single wing during their miserable, short life and they are stacked in crates one on top of the other so that the waste from the top is constantly falling on the ones below. Farmers often deprive them of food for as long as 14 days to trick their bodies into producing more eggs. The light in the sheds where they are kept is constantly manipulated also in an attempt to maximize egg production. When their production drops, they are slaughtered. Because their bodies are so emaciated, battered and bruised, these chickens are typically only good for chicken soup, cat or dog food, or canned chicken products (which go to the National School Lunch Program). Yum!
“Free range” or “cage free” hens don’t have it any better. They are not kept in cages, but still have their beaks cut off and are still crammed together in filthy sheds. They are also slaughtered once their production drops. And although free-rage and organic egg farms are supposed to give the birds outdoor access, the USDA has decided that they may be confined for “reasons of health, safety, the animal’s stage of production or to protect soil or water quality.” Many farms abuse this loophole and never allow them to go outside.
Transport & Slaughter
When it’s time for slaughter, chickens are rounded up and stuffed into crates for transport to the slaughterhouse. Tens of millions suffer from broken wings or legs just from this process alone. Some may also hemorrhage to death as a result of the rough handling. The journey to the slaughterhouse may be hundreds of miles long, but no food or water is provided at all. They are transported in all weather conditions and are not shielded at all from extreme heat or cold.
Because birds are not protected by any federal laws- in fact, they are specifically excluded by the federal Humane Slaughter Act- there are no guidelines for chicken slaughter. When they arrive at the slaughterhouse, they are dumped out of the crates and their legs are clamped into shackles. Hanging upside down, they are dragged through an electrified pool of water meant to paralyze them, not to render them unconscious. The electrical current is often set much lower than what is required to adequately stun the birds out of concern that too much would damage their carcasses, thus diminishing their value.
After being dragged through the electrified water, their throats are slashed, usually by a mechanized blade. All too often, the blade misses birds who are thrashing about and still struggling to break free after being inadequately stunned. The next step is the scalding tank, where birds are submerged in boiling water to remove their feathers. Those missed by the blade are boiled alive. This happens to MILLIONS of birds every year.
