The Ethical Dilemma Around Chicken Farms
Chicken is a very popular meat, but many feel the chicken production industry can be cruel to the birds. Broiler chickens are the most popular chicken on the market and fast-food menus. These chickens are raised in large, windowless buildings in flocks between 20 000 and 50 000 birds. Feeding, watering, temperature and ventilation are all automatically controlled. Most broiler chicken are slaughtered after just six or seven weeks (a chicken's natural lifespan is around seven years). The farm carefully controls the artificial lighting within the broiler sheds. When the chickens first arrive, the lighting is bright so the chicks can find the food and water. This encourages eating and rapid growth. After a time, the lighting is dimmed in order to prevent fighting between the chickens. The birds have little space in which to move. The space diminishes even further as the chickens grow.
Free-range chickens are raised in open pastures where they forage during the day for natural foods. They return to their nesting sheds at night. As a result of their daily exercise, the chickens develop good muscle tone and are much more meaty than the farmed chickens (it is the muscle tissue of the chicken that we eat). The chickens are treated better, and the meat is tastier, but these birds are more expensive for the consumer. If we impose free-range standards on all chicken production, the price of chicken will skyrocket.
Another issue to consider is the environmental impact of these chicken farms.
How important is it to you how chickens are raised?
Do you care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket or your favourite fast-food restaurant?
What is your standard for ethical treatment of chickens?
Some resources:
http://www.peta.org/
http://www.upc-online.org/fouling.html
http://sustainablepoultry.ncat.org/
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/epa-plays-chicken-regulations-poultry-farm-emissions--steel-mills-oil-refineries.php
Free-range chickens are raised in open pastures where they forage during the day for natural foods. They return to their nesting sheds at night. As a result of their daily exercise, the chickens develop good muscle tone and are much more meaty than the farmed chickens (it is the muscle tissue of the chicken that we eat). The chickens are treated better, and the meat is tastier, but these birds are more expensive for the consumer. If we impose free-range standards on all chicken production, the price of chicken will skyrocket.
Another issue to consider is the environmental impact of these chicken farms.
How important is it to you how chickens are raised?
Do you care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket or your favourite fast-food restaurant?
What is your standard for ethical treatment of chickens?
Some resources:
http://www.peta.org/
http://www.upc-online.org/fouling.html
http://sustainablepoultry.ncat.org/
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/epa-plays-chicken-regulations-poultry-farm-emissions--steel-mills-oil-refineries.php
While I could NEVER be a vegetarian, I do love animals and firmly believe that all living things deserve to be treated humanely. Some people might say that a chicken is just a dumb bird that doesn’t have a thought in its tiny head, but according to an American study, chickens are thought to be not only curious birds but they also have incredible cognitive ability. Ironically, they are also incredibly neat creatures who actually enjoy exercise and searching their food out. So by trapping them in a disgusting, confined environment, chicken farmers are basically torturing them. It is not only ethical that we treat animals with respect but it is essential that laws and regular inspections are put in place in order to ensure that they are treated humanely. It is never okay for any living creature to suffer, therefore it is our responsibility as humans to make sure that their existence is natural, comfortable and happy as possible.
ReplyDeleteOf course for this to be possible, the standards need to be set higher and if this requires a price increase, than that’s how it should be. The price of beef has gone way up and while people may not eat it as much, they do still buy it and probably appreciate it even more. Chicken farmers may suffer in the beginning, but I don’t believe that the public will stop buying it. People may not eat as much chicken but they will still eat it and this restructuring could even expand the variety in our meals by forcing us to eat more fish and vegetables. The most important factor is the quality of life of the birds, as well as the best quality product safe for humans.
I am definitely in support of the free-range method because this allows chicken to live as they should, in a healthy environment, building muscle and being given the opportunity to grow and develop naturally. This should be the only acceptable method and this method should be adapted by chicken famers and enforced by law. As a result, the final product will not only healthier for us but also for the environment.
The negative impact of the U.S. chicken industry on the environment is staggering! An estimated 10 billion chickens are killed in slaughter houses each year creating life altering pollution to the land, air, and water. The phenomenal amount of excrement is turned into contaminated fertilizer that is destroying the ground water, and exposing fish and wildlife to diseases that were unheard of in the past. We wonder why there is so much cancer in our families, when the answer is obvious. We are doing it to ourselves and we are allowing it to happen. Although the issue of ethical treatment for chickens is important, we must also address the chain reaction that results from our sloppy standards and understand the irreversible impact that this is having on us.
How important is it to you how chickens are raised?
ReplyDeleteI think how chickens are raised is important to us. This not only relates to our own health but also social wellness. Because the current method of chicken, raising is incorrect. People are addicted to productivity while ignoring efficiency, just as broiler chickens. Multiple hygienic issues are haunting the building. Just as humans, over-population could result in diseases. Just one sick bird could easily infect the entire plant while it is hard to discover. A Large population means tons of manure, which makes it even more difficult to keep the place clean. What’s more, several environmental impacts relate to broiler chicken start to reveal, and some of them are going to affect the entire generation. My parents always purchase free-range chickens, despite the high cost of it, my parents insist something that does less damage to the environment and could be better to ourselves as broiler chickens have too many uncertainties.
Do you care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket or your favourite fast-food restaurant?
I do care more. I watched some documentaries about broiler farming and its relating drawbacks, it turned out there is no benefit for a chicken to live under an artificial, over-crowded environment. I used to believe the only problem broiler chickens have is meat quality and texture, the articles I read today revealed environmental problems that I haven’t thought of. In one article it mentioned “a one million hen complex can produce 125 tons of wet manure a day”, the amount is unimaginable if we take all chicken farms under consideration while most of them are used as fertilizer, which contains chemicals from chickens’ feeds. All that we’ve done simply for more productivity lead to consequences. I think I need to pay more attention to discriminating the two different methods of raising chickens and their impacts upon different perspectives. The boiler chicken we take for granted has more important connections with our society compared to ourselves.
What is your standard for ethical treatment of chickens?
I think chickens should be treated nicely. Chickens are victims of the large demand and entire industry. As they are killed to serve us, they should be enjoying their lives instead of suffering from it, not only for meat quality but also for themselves. Lack of hygienic procedures and being fed by artificial things have no benefit for them. I personally advocate the way how free-range chickens are raised, they are naturally raised, with natural diets and habits. My standard is that chickens should be fed by natural ingredients, not be slaughtered after just a month and a half, with no over-population takes place. Broiler farms could add multiple layers in a single building to distribute chickens evenly among, with vertical spaces being used, the over-populated situation could be potentially solved. Also, policies should be applied to such methods by limiting population per square meter as well as reinforcing managements towards what they eat. Broiler farms still situate in the grey zone, if people are too profit oriented, the remaining method could only be law enforcements.
While I agree with you that there is "no benefit for a chicken to live under an artificial, over-crowded environment" for the chicken, I believe that the broiler farmers don't have the chickens' well-being in mind- they just care about the profit. However, I guess purchasing free-range chicken like you are doing is helping the environment. After all, if no one buys broiler chickens anymore, the farmers will stop producing them. That's unlikely though, given the fast-food restaurants that use them.
DeleteHow important is it to you how chickens are raised?
ReplyDeleteTo me it is extremely important that chickens are treated in a humane manner. You can’t argue that how we treat these mass produced animals like chickens, cows and pigs, is inhumane and unethical. I find that it is sickening how far we will go just to make more money. These animals never see natural light or even experience what our world is like. They are born in machines, live in cages for several weeks then are all slaughtered. I honestly don't think anything can be worse than this. Although humans have an extremely high demand for chicken, I feel that it should be illegal for chicken farms to treat live animals in such a harsh and inhumane manner. Free-range are the only type of eggs I buy because these chickens are at least given a proper life before they face the consequences of nature. These chickens have the ability to pasteurize while commercial chicken farms feed using GM foods to speed up their growing patterns. In my opinion, free-range is the only ethical way of chicken farming and mass producers need to adopt this method in order to run their businesses in a humane way. On a side note, these commercial chicken farms are producing ample amounts of ammonia. Ammonia is a toxin released into the air which is used to reduce the acidity of water to a pH of 7. An article on “treehugger” states that new studies have discovered that these chicken farms are releasing more ammonia into the atmosphere than large oil and steel mill refineries.
Do you care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket or your favourite fast-food restaurant?
I think for many people, having the reliable choice of being able to afford chicken at the supermarket is more important than having chicken at a certain fast-food chain. With chicken being the cheapest meat at many grocers, it is important that we keep that option open as many families rely on affordable chicken for their meals. Personally I think having the chicken option at a fast-food restaurant benefits me more since I am constantly on the road while driving to and from soccer. Fast-food is a consistent part of my diet and although every single meal is saturated in sodium, I try to stay away from the most processed meals and stick to chicken. I am aware of where fast-food companies like McDonald’s and Tim Hortons buys their chicken from and I try not to spend my money on chicken that has come from an unethical chicken farm.
What is your standard for ethical treatment of chickens?
As I said earlier, I don’t believe that commercial chicken farming is ethical. For chicken farming to be acceptable to my standards the chickens must be able to pasteurize. Pasteurizing is an essential part of any animal's’ life. They are exposed to the outdoors, natural obstacles like predators and are raised alongside other chickens in a non-hostile environment with ample amounts of personal space. Another standard of mine for ethical farming the use of GMO’s. Commercial chicken farming includes GMO’s in the chicken’s diet to speed up tissue growth. In a commercial environment, these chickens are more than the average size in around 6 weeks. I believe the use of these genetically modified foods is unethical especially with the amount that companies use them today.
I agree that affordable chicken from the supermarket is a priority for many people as well as the convenience of its availability at fast-food restaurants even when people acknowledge where it came from. However, would you be willing to pay more if fast food restaurants were to switch to free-range chicken?
DeleteI honestly would rather fast-food companies incorporate free-range chicken into their menus. Replacing farmed chicken would be ideal but I also feel that that is unrealistic. Consumers like myself 10/10 would rather buy free-range chicken than farmed chicken grown in an unnatural environment containing GM contaminants. I feel that a fast-food restaurant known to have good ethics and support quality free-range chicken, would ultimately receive praise and more business even if it requires more money to fund the new products.
Delete1. How important is it to you how chickens are raised?
ReplyDeleteI think the way of how chickens are raised is very important. The broiler chickens are raised efficiently and brings huge amount of profit to the business. Because the market has a great demand and this way of raising chicken provides great supply. But because it is raised artificially, the price is low. It’s a cruel way to treat the animal, but it’s how people get to eat chicken meat at affordable price. If I want to eat healthily, of course I would like to eat the free-range chicken, which is a lot healthier because the chickens live under a more natural environment.
2. Do you care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket or your favourite fast-food restaurant?
Yes. I believe so, because chicken is a necessary food source for most of the people. Also, the market of inexpensive chicken is connected to other businesses like supermarkets and fast-food restaurants. When the supply is low, the short of chicken can cause great loss for these other connected business, and it may lead to worse problems such as hunger and unemployment for people.
3. What is your standard for ethical treatment of chickens?
My standard for ethnical treatment of chickens is that a healthy environment for chickens growth should be ensured . Chickens are animals who have similar physical conditions just like us. When their manure or some of their dead bodies are not cleaned environmentally friendly and dumped just by where they live, the heavy contamination doesn’t allow the chickens to grow healthily, “mentally” and “physically”. The poultry business should provide chickens at least a wide space to live, and shouldn’t make them overdose drugs. These drugs may possibly make them die from reaction and brings diseases. When chickens life span is up, they shouldn’t be slaughtered alive.
Companies need to find a balance between profit and a less cruel treatment ethically. Mass production is definitely not balanced. However, you said "broiler chickens are raised efficiently", which I can't completely agree with. I believe "efficiency" and "productivity" still differ from each other. For chickens, an efficient method of production is to have a considerable amount of products while ensuring quality, which means broiler chicken doesn't belong to that category. Keep pushing out low-quality, hormone-contaminated chicken could never be an example of "efficient" method.
DeleteWhat you said about the cruel treatment of broiler chickens in the chicken production industry is very true and sad, I too think that free-range chicken is a better choice. However, if free-range chickens became the only type of chickens available on the market do you think that chicken would stay so popular or that they would no longer be available in fast-food restaurants and people would purchase other types of meat instead to avoid paying a higher price?
DeleteYour final comment, that chickens "shouldn't be slaughtered alive" gave the impression that you thought that the majority of chickens were aware of their death. While the killing cone method used by small scale farmers does leave the bird completely aware and alive at the time of death, the current industrial-scale version of slaughtering does stun the birds with electrified water as they are hung upside down. This method does make the chicken unaware at the time of death and is considered humane as it is quick and painless as their throats are slit. Approximately 8,000 birds are killed an hour with this method, so actually the majority of birds are unaware of what is happening to them at the time of their death.
DeleteFrom an objective perspective, it’s somewhat important to me how chickens are raised. Factory raised chickens are unhealthier but less costly, while free range chickens are tastier and healthier but more expensive. From a sanitary perspective, factory raised chickens are more prone to diseases like salmonella and e. coli, because it spreads much faster when they are put in such a crowded environment. From an ethical perspective, it’s important because I don’t think it’s morally correct for chickens, or any living organism, to live factory-farmed in the current conditions. That’s not to say that free-range chicken is necessarily the answer either, though. For one, after I did a search or two, I found out that the term “free-range” can apply to any chicken that is not caged, which encompasses the “factory-farmed” type as well. Even in the cases where the chickens are raised in open pastures and return to their nesting pastures at night (etc), it’s not exactly ethical either. Both types of farming end with the chicken dead, having had a much shorter lifespan than otherwise would’ve been. The free-range chickens have their life of relative happiness taken away, while one could argue that the factory-farmed variety is being taken out of its misery through death. It’s pretty important to me how chickens are raised, but neither factory nor free range farming is ethical.
ReplyDeleteI care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from fast-food restaurants, rather than supermarkets. Fast-food restaurants, using factory-farmed chicken or not, tend to be unhealthy- for example, KFC has fried chicken whether it’s free-range or not. Since it’s not going to be healthy either way, it’s better for it to be unhealthy and inexpensive. On the other hand, since the more expensive chicken is healthier, and because people usually buy things in higher volume in supermarkets compared to fast-food chains, it’s better for people to eat more healthy foods in the long run. Even if eating healthy means spending a bit more money.
I think that in a perfect world, we would all be vegetarians, and animals would not have to suffer because of our selfish desire for consuming meat. That’s obviously not going to happen, but the next closest thing would be that chickens would be allowed to reach their full lifespan, and only be eaten after they die from natural causes excluding zoonotic diseases. This is my standard of ethical (“morally good or correct.”) treatment, but I know that it’s not realistic- it would hugely increase the cost of poultry. However, maybe this means that sometimes we have to choose between what is ethically correct, and what is practical.
It is estimated that 40% of McDonald's and KFC's are built in areas of poverty to target poor families. For these low income families this is the more affordable option. So when you state that, "Since it's not going to be healthy either way, it's better for it be unhealthy and inexpensive" are you then saying that poor families are not worthy of quality food like free range chicken. I feel a better solution would be to only raise free range chickens to restaurant chains and supermarkets and this way regardless of your income, you have access to healthy, quality products.
DeleteI think that what you described is a very ethical way for chickens to be treated, it may be impractical to the chicken production industry, but it allows chickens to live more natural lives. On the other hand, since there would be so many difficulties involved in preparing and selling the chickens with that method wouldn’t it be best to just put an end to the chicken production industry?
Delete1.How important is it to you how chickens are raised?
ReplyDeleteHow chickens are raised is very important to me because animal cruelty is horrible and on top of that, the environmental damage it can cause shouldn’t be happening. The way broiler chickens are currently being raised by the chicken production industry is terrible and something needs to be done about it. For an animal to live its entire life never seeing sunlight or breathing fresh air and being cramped in a small space with tons of other animals before being slaughtered in an extremely cruel way is abominable. That alone makes me wish that chickens didn’t have to go through this, but when that’s the way chickens are raised and it’s not only them but the environment that's suffering which is awful. If chickens were raised in a more ethical or natural way there wouldn’t be a need for such drastic changes to environments for the construction of these poultry houses and slaughterhouses or their harmful emissions.
2.Do you care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket or your favourite fast-food restaurant?
I care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket rather than a fast-food restaurant for several reasons. The first is that when you buy foods from the supermarket it’s better for your local economy. By buying more local foods there's less pollution from transporting the food, more local jobs, and local food becomes cheaper. Another reason is that the food you buy from the supermarket is much healthier than a fast-food restaurant which is important to me. The final reason is that since there is local produce available at the supermarket there is more free-range chicken available, unlike fast-food restaurants where none of the chicken is free range.
3.What is your standard for ethical treatment of chickens?
I think that it is only fair for chickens to be treated well and be able to spend their lives outdoors. I understand that the chicken production industry is far too large to be stopped completely, but the brutal slaughtering's and living conditions are unacceptable. I believe that chickens should have enough open space for themselves and be allowed outside with access to shelter. I also think that they should be left to grow at a natural pace rather than dangerously fast from being drugged. Chickens should be kept in non-abusive environments that aren’t overcrowded to ensure that they are happier and safer. Though a free range chicken may cost more, the fact that it lived a better life and was treated ethically makes it worth the price.
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DeleteI agree with your statement about how we should move to a safer, more ethical method of farming. Chickens are simply farmed in an inhumane manner and the only other viable option for me is to alter the methods to free-range. I also agree with you point favouring the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket as there is less pollution and you are directly benefitting your local area.
DeleteI agree with your statement about how important is for you how chickens are raised, is terrible and somethings has to be done about it. I believe that there are other ways to raise chickens without torturing them, and companies have to start thinking about that. It has to be a more ethical and natural way because also the way they are raised it's not good for us to eat that later.
DeleteHow important is it to you how chickens are raised?
ReplyDeleteTo me the importance of how chickens are raised is very little and until reading this dilemma I do not recall ever thinking about the growth of chickens. After reading this dilemma I started to think more and more about chickens and how they are raised and I do not believe that what they are doing to the broiler chickens is right. Even if the chickens only live for six to seven weeks before being slaughters I still believe that they shouldn’t spend these six weeks stuck in a large building with controlled Feeding, watering, temperature and ventilation. I believe all chickens should be free-raised because if the chickens aren’t alive for very long they should still be treated well while they are alive because they are still living creatures and we don’t have the right to keep them in buildings for the duration of their life.
Do you care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket or your favorite fast-food restaurant?
I care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket rather than my favorite fast food restaurant for lots of reasons. One of the reasons being that the supermarket chicken is a lot heathier than the the fast food chicken. Another reason being the prices with the supermarket prices being a lot cheaper and a lot more precise because often at fast food restaurants you can’t just get the chicken you also have to get the fries and a drink where at supermarket you can just get the chicken easily.
What is your standard for ethical treatment of chickens?
Like I said before I believe that what they do to the broiler chickens is not right and that does not meet my standard for ethical treatment of chickens. My standards for ethical treatment of chickens are that we need to treat them like they are living creatures and not just a food source. I believe that all chickens should be free-raised chickens and should be able to live their life outside on a farm rather than in some windowless building. I am okay with the chicken’s life being reduced to six- seven weeks I just believe that the chickens should be allowed to be free or at least in their natural habitat for their short life.
I agree with you that if an animal has to live a short life, then it should be a good one. On the other hand, these animals that are killed within less than two months of their lives are all genetically modified so that they mature much more quickly. The consequence of this is that since their hearts do not mature as quickly as the rest of their bodies, there may be internal problems in many of the birds. Having said that, does your standard for the ethical treatment of chickens change?
Delete1. How is it important to you that chickens are raised
ReplyDelete- Mass production farms now days are getting quite out of hand and their way of raising and killing chickens and or other animals is becoming very cruel. I myself can tell the difference between an egg from a chicken on a farm and an egg from a grocery store that has probably come from a mass production chicken factory. The egg has a much thinner shell and has an almost plastic taste when cooked. I think these are a side affect from a 7 life week that consists of growth hormones. Not only do I care about the taste and all, but I believe that chicken deserves a healthy life as well. I belive that egg companies should ditch the cost-efficient way of doing things and higher the prices of their eggs and take pride in the quality of their egg.
2.Do you care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket or your favourite fast-food restaurant?
- I think that it is much more important the proper chicken is more available than chicken strips at a fast food restaurant. Not only is it much more healthy and nutritious, it is the main source of food for families. Fast food restaurants may be a more cheap and quick way to eat a meal but it is much more likely that the chicken that you bought from a fast food restaurant is not only less nutritious but probably has been mass produced. Chicken is a quite popular dish in all families and that most would prefer a proper uncooked chicken rather than fast food.
3.What is your standard for ethical treatment of chickens?
- First of all, I believe that chickens should be somewhat farm raised and not raised with the help of artificial food or growth hormones. Chickens are also in high demand and we need to be realistic that they are going to be somewhat mass produced. But if the chickens are well raised and not in any way artificial I believe they can still be up to standard. Chickens also need to be sanitary, naturally, feed, and not bound to a cage their whole lives. If a company can follow those standards I think they can be a successful company that takes pride in how they do things.
I agree with you that mass production is nothing but harmful for chickens. Developing an alternative way of production is necessary. It's a kind of torture for chickens to live under an artificial surroundings and growth hormones have side effects for both chicken and humans (in some cases). I think its achievable to develop a non-artificial way of production while ensuring productivity.
DeleteI agree with your statement that chickens should not be raised with the help of artificial food or growth hormones. I think that eating chicken that has been raised with the help of artificial food or growth hormones it's not healthy, not for us and neither for them. I believe that its achievable to develop an alternative way to feed chickens without damaging us or them and still ensuring productivity.
DeleteHow important is it to you how chickens are raised?
ReplyDeleteI eat eggs basically every day. So eggs are extremely important in my daily food. Therefor I am concerned of what I eat and how this food is being produced. Especially because it involves animals. When I pick my eggs in the store, I only opt for the biologically bred once. First of all, the price difference is minimal between the industrial bred once and the biological eggs. And secondly and this is the most important to me, I hate the idea of animals having to suffer in order to fulfil our needs. I know that businesses, in order to reduce their production, squeeze hens into extremely small caves without natural light, with the only purpose to lay as many eggs as possible in the shortest time as possible before being killed. I know also that male chickens are immediately killed in a mixer because only hens are economically viable. And I have seen videos of little, puffy, yellow, tiny, one day old chickens are thrown into a huge mixer by the thousands’ a horrible image. And even if my appetite for eggs and bacon is big, I will never allow myself to eat something which comes out of a business that cares so little about animal rights.
Do you care more about the availability of inexpensive chicken from the supermarket or your favourite fast-food restaurant?
To be honest I didn’t care of neither of these two Proposition but in order to reply to this question, chicken is always good food but as I mentioned in the first question I am not a fan of industrial processed food. Especially when it comes to animal welfare I have no pleasure in buying meat from creatures that have suffered so much.
What is your standard for ethical treatment of chickens?
My standards are the same as the one from my family. We are used to eating only biologically chickens. My guideline concerning meat is better less than more. Apparently science tells us that we are eating too much meant. For once meat is becoming cheaper because it is being produced on a big scale and for two the world population is growing. In poorer country’s people think that meat is a luxury product and people believe that it is good to have because it’s a luxury product.