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Unpacking the Horrific Conditions of the American Poultry Industry
Imagine spending your whole life living in a small cage, packed on top of ten to twelve other cages filled with people, forced to wallow in your own filth, as well as the excrement of the other residents in your cage. You’re unable to move, denied access to medical care, and only taken out of this cage when it is time for you to be brutally killed either by having your throat slit or being boiled alive. Unfortunately, this is the sad fate of billions of chickens each year in the United States. To make matters worse, this practice is not only common, but there are virtually no laws in place to protect these highly intelligent and inquisitive animals from the living torture they are forced to endure prior to their premature death. For the most part, people either turn a blind eye to this atrocity or simply don’t care. Therefore, each year, billions of chickens fall victim to this same grotesque and unbelievably cruel fate.
In nature, chickens are incredibly social animals who form friendships and develop social networks and hierarchies. They love and care for their offspring, groom and clean one another, make homes for their young, and roost in trees. Sadly, chickens raised for eggs and meat are denied all of these natural activities and are forced to suppress their innate instincts, adding an emotional element to their physical…
