So, I overheard a conversation the other day about dog and cock fighting. My father-in-law says that they’re both so horrible and doesn’t understand how anyone could condone either. I immediately thought to myself that this is such a hypocritical thing for him to say since he eats chicken. Anyone who has ever done an ounce of research into animal agriculture would know that our “food” chickens are treated just as bad and sometimes worse than those used for fighting.

Workers have been caught on tape stomping chickens to death, violently ripping their heads off and even sexually assaulting them. The birds used for fighting usually peck each other until one is dead. The birds used for our food have their beaks seared off to keep them from pecking each other to death. And this is the case for the chickens who lay the “free-range” eggs as well, if you do your research, the “happy-meat” isn’t actually very happy.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think that cockfighting is a completely reprehensible act. However, I also hate the hypocrisy involved in those people who are horrified by cockfighting but continue to happily eat chicken for dinner 5 times a week.

It should also be noted that while there are laws (albeit not very good ones) that govern abuse for pigs and cows used for food, there are no laws for the birds used for food. That makes all of the things I listed above perfectly legal for these people to do.

Definitions from the Humane Society:

Free-Range: While the USDA has defined the meaning of “free-range” for some poultry products, there are no standards in “free-range” egg production. Typically, free-range egg-laying hens are uncaged inside barns or warehouses and have some degree of outdoor access. They can engage in many natural behaviors such as nesting and foraging. However, there is no information on stocking density, the frequency or duration of outdoor access, or the quality of the land accessible to the birds. There is no information regarding what the birds can be fed. Debeaking and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party auditing.

Certified Humane*: The birds are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but may be kept indoors at all times. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching, and dust bathing. There are requirements for stocking density and number of perches and nesting boxes. Forced molting through starvation is prohibited, but debeaking is allowed. Compliance is verified through third-party auditing. Certified Humane is a program of Humane Farm Animal Care.

Cage-Free: As the term implies, hens laying eggs labeled as “cage-free” are uncaged inside barns or warehouses, but generally do not have access to the outdoors. They have the ability to engage in many of their natural behaviors such as walking, nesting, and spreading their wings. Debeaking and forced molting through starvation are permitted. There is no third-party auditing.

People who buy into the whole “free-range” myth should also know that these conditions only apply to the facility where the animals are raised. When it comes time for their slaughter however, most of them are taken to the same slaughterhouses as other animals. And the slaughterhouses are where most of the stomping, beatings and assaults occur.

For more information on the treatment of the birds that are used for food in the US, see the links below.

MfA Poultry Page
Kentucky Fried Cruelty - a good site if you ignore all of their celebrity hype
chickenindustry.com

And more information on the “free-range” industry..

Go Veg’s Organic Page
CoK’s Free Range Page