Nicole Weissman
Strolling through a local supermarket, labels boasting. “Free range” or “cage-free” reassure consumers of their ethical purchase choices. Yet, my research of over four months illuminates a harsh reality. Despite idyllic imagery, the commercial poultry industry relies on expedited killing, breeds health crises, and fosters hostile living conditions. My exploration has peeled away the veil, revealing a profit-driven system that disregards chicken welfare and natural behaviors.
Technology allows chickens to be killed at a faster rate than ever before:
In the United States, there is a prioritization of the economic needs of commercial farms through the creation of the technological process of chicken culling. Chicken culling is the separation and extermination unwanted chicks for which the intensive animal farming industry has no use.* Since male chicks cannot economically benefit farmers, egg producers use technology to exterminate them. This practice is an industry-standard in the United States, where over 260 million male chicks are killed per year.*
The first method of chicken culling is by maceration also known as “grinding”. A machine called a macerator shreds the chickens while still alive and conscious. The chicks are placed onto a conveyor belt, like the belt suitcases travel on in baggage claim. At the end of the conveyor belt, they are dropped into the macerator and crushed by metal gears. Maceration is deemed acceptable because the death is instantaneous, and, therefore, painless. It should also be considered that the costs for operations of macerators are minimal beyond the initial cost.
Another method of chicken culling is through carbon dioxide asphyxiation. This suffocation process places chickens in a gas chamber and poisons them with CO2. Various elements contribute to whether the chickens experience pain or not. For example:failure to cool the gas sufficiency results in the chickens suffering from the hot air. Throughout my research I noticed the common words of “humane” and “accepted” as scientists and commercial farmers list killing practices. It forced me to reflect on how society has come to understand the lives of many animals in the context of what is best for productivity. When examining scientific practices involving chickens, it becomes crucial to contemplate the compromises made by the commercial industry, balancing efficiency with the trade-offs in animal welfare.
Technology like GMO and cage design make chickens’ lives more painful than ever before:
Over the past seventy years, intentional breeding practices and technological advancements have drastically altered the weight and fat composition of domestic chickens, nearly tripling their weight. This shift, driven by profit motives, has inadvertently led to severe consequences for the birds. The rapid increase in weight has outpaced the adaptation of their internal organs and bones, resulting in debilitating health issues. For instance, almost half of heavy broilers exhibit abnormal walking patterns, indicating musculoskeletal discomfort. Furthermore, their underdeveloped heart and lungs struggle to support their enlarged bodies, leading to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems, particularly prevalent in male broilers selectively bred for rapid growth.
The pursuit of juicier, fattier meat for consumers has led commercial chicken farms to prioritize profit over animal welfare, exacerbating these health problems. Additionally, the overcrowded living conditions on these farms further compound the chickens’ suffering. Confined in tight spaces, the birds are unable to move freely, leading to unsanitary conditions where they are forced to relieve themselves where they stand. This contributes to the prevalence of footpad dermatitis, a painful condition affecting around half of all broiler chickens, which can result in necrotic lesions on their feet.
Left untreated, footpad dermatitis can become a breeding ground for bacterial infections such as Escherichia coli, posing further health risks. These dire circumstances underscore the unintended consequences of scientific advancements. While technological resources have enabled mass farming, they have also led to the neglect of animal welfare, resulting in immense suffering for chickens. The push for higher profits through intensive breeding and overcrowded facilities has created a cycle of exploitation, where chickens endure significant pain and discomfort solely to meet consumer demands.
Ignoring what is known about animal behavior, in favor of technological solutions like beak trimming, further advances chicken cruelty.
Contrary to the common trope that chickens have low intelligence, they possess complex communication methods, social learning, and social hierarchy.* Chickens produce a diverse range of over 24 unique vocalizations and engage in various visual displays for communication, such as strutting to assert dominance. In nature, chickens recognize individual members within their social group and navigate in a hierarchical structure, exhibiting a preference for learning from dominant individuals.*
On many “free range” or “cage-free” farms, hens are kept in densely populated conditions, limiting their capacity to partake in natural behaviors, establish social hierarchy, and learn.* Without the establishment of this hierarchy, and therefore stability, it is common for chickens to engage in violent behaviors towards each other using their beaks.*
In efforts to prevent injuries farms use the practice of beak trimming; a standard preventative practice in most commercial farms that removes 1/3 to 1/2 of the beak using a hot blade. A blade is heated to over 1202 degrees Fahrenheit and cauterized into the beak tissue (Cheng, 2005). Extreme heat can lead to blistering and even nerve damage (Gentle, 1986). Rather than addressing the root causes of the violence, commercial farms resort to beak trimming, a technological solution that overlooks the chickens’ natural behaviors and well-being, aligning with the overarching theme that technological solutions contribute to the cruelty inflicted upon chickens.
The industry uses terms such as “cage-free” and “free range” to create an impression of humane conditions, highlighting how these conditions are better than cages, while many commercial farms enact violence through technological practices.
Nicole is a Junior at Lehigh University majoring in Sociology and Anthropology.
In her “violence of science” class during the fall semester, she researched the practices of commercial chicken farming in the United States. In this piece, she uncovers some of the ugly truths about so-called ethical practices in commercial chicken farming.
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