Chickens

A chicken's life - short but not sweet

Huge numbers of chickens are raised and killed - 368 million a year are slaughtered in Australia. With so many birds, they are treated more like a production line than living individuals with feelings

They are kept on the ground in huge sheds, where they are crowded together with 20 or more birds per square metre. By the time they are 6 weeks old, they are so crowded that they look like a white carpet.

Meat chickens are a special breed, selected to grow as fast as possible. The chickens people eat are 6 week old babies with giant bodies.

The chickens pay a high price for growing so fast. They have a high rate of bone deformities, which can cause problems walking. Some birds die or are culled because of really bad leg problems. The chickens, who should be active young animals, spend a lot of time just sitting. One researcher has estimated that they suffer joint pain for the last 20% of their life.

Chickens are raised in darkened sheds to keep them quiet - they are less likely to attack each other in the dark. As the manure from thousands of birds accumulates over 6 weeks, the air becomes polluted with dust, ammonia, and bacteria. Chicken farmers, as well as chickens, get lung problems as a result.

The chickens get a variety of diseases - some 6% die or are culled before they get to the slaughterhouse at 6 weeks of age. One cause of death is Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), where birds suddenly flip over and die. SDS is due to a heart attack, and is related to growing too fast. Remember that these birds are only 6 weeks old!

When they are 6 weeks old, catchers go through the shed at night and grab several chickens at a time by one leg. They are shoved into plastic crates for transport to the slaughterhouse. They endure the stress of rough handling, road noise, and possibly unpleasant weather such as extreme heat or rain. When they arrive at the slaughterhouse:

At the slaughterhouse, they are pulled from the crates and hung up by the feet on the killing chain. Their heads are supposed to pass through an electrified water bath to stun them before their throats are cut by an automatic knife. However, not all chickens are stunned, and some are still fully conscious when their throat is cut. It is also shocking to realise that some chickens are still alive when they are submerged in the hot scalding tank to loosen their feathers before plucking and gutting.

You can avoid all this suffering by not eating chicken - go to Vegetarianism - the cruelty-free diet for suggestions.

For more detailed information, including references, go to The chicken industry in Australia .