About this website
The purpose of this website is to provide information/news about Veganism and animal abuse/welfare/rights. It is hoped this information will be used for research and prompt a consideration of why Veganism is so important, particularly at this time. While Veganism is concerned with diet and the environment, it must always be animal-centered. Veganism, which is not animal-centered, is not Veganism...
"Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."
(Vegan Society)
The Future is Vegan...
The Chicken Industry
"Chickens are not only the most populous bird on the planet; they are also among the most abused. Chickens on factory farms are born into highly mechanized, unnatural environments, where they are valued as units of production rather than living animals with social and psychological needs. Arguably no animal on a factory farm enjoys a fulfilling life, but chickens in both the egg and meat industries get a particularly raw deal...
Chickens are raised in factory farms for two purposes: eggs and meat. In both of these industries, chicken wellbeing is considered less important than maintaining consistently high production levels, resulting in numerous flagrant welfare violations. Most factory-farmed chickens are not allowed to spend time outdoors, confined instead to crowded indoor sheds for the vast majority of their lives..."
Source and full article: https://thehumaneleague.org/
In December 2023, AWI reported that "The US Department of Agriculture continues to allow birds to be mutilated by machinery, slammed against walls, and buried alive in slaughterhouses without holding the industry accountable, according to a new report released today by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI)." The report (pdf) 'The Welfare of Birds at Slaughter in the United States' can be downloaded here.
Another issue with chicken farming is that male baby chicks are killed as they are considered “worthless:”
"Billions of birds face death on the day they are born simply because their lives are not profitable. In the United States, around 260 million male chicks are killed each year. This means around 30,000 freshly hatched chicks every hour. Why is this happening? Male chicks cannot lay eggs, and they are not the same breed of chicken used for meat. As a result, these baby animals are deemed worthless by the egg industry and are brutally killed, using extremely cruel techniques.
One commonly used killing method is maceration. The male chicks are transferred to a machine called a grinder and are killed by “shredding.” The birds are alive and fully conscious as they are violently shredded into pieces. In some parts of the world, shredding chicks alive is prohibited. Other chicks are burned, crushed, or drowned, as our undercover investigations have documented. Another common method for killing these chicks is suffocating them with carbon dioxide gas. This, too, is cruel - a recent study found that birds show behavioral signs of suffering during this process. In the U.S., some chicks are also killed by electrocution."
Source and full article: https://animalequality.org/
In March 2024, The Independent reported how:
"Secret filming in a hatchery that rears birds for the chicken meat industry also appears to show chicks left injured and sometimes bloodied by accidents. The first investigation of its kind in a broiler chick hatchery claims to reveal how young birds are treated on production lines. Those deemed not fit for sale to chicken farms were sent down a chute into a macerator to be ground up alive, it is alleged. The company, Annyalla, says it produces three million, day-old chicks a week for the broiler – meat – industry. Eggs are incubated for three weeks before chicks hatch, and are then sold to chicken farms."
Articles
10 facts you should know about factory-farmed chickens.
17 chicken facts the industry doesn’t want you to know.
A dozen reasons why cage-free isn't cruelty-free
Can chicken farming really be sustainable?
Chicken farm: How does it work?
Chicken factory farm; Investigating the big business of the meat mass production.
Chickens are one of the most abused animals on the planet.
Chickens farmed for meat.
Chickens used for food.
Factory farming: What it is and why it's a problem.
Factory-farmed chickens: The cruelty of chicken farms.
Genetic cruelty: Investigation reveals a life of suffering for factory-farmed chickens.
Leading chicken producer accused of ‘Horrific’ animal cruelty following undercover investigation.
McChicken cruelty.
The life of a chicken in a factory farm.
The truth behind British chicken.
The world’s most abused animals: Chickens used for meat and eggs.
These aren't just any UK chicken farms....
Tyson exposed.
The following newspaper articles are interesting:
Vox (23 September 2020), Independent (2 May 2021), and Euronews (24 April 2022)
Videos
Change for chickens.
Cruelty to hens at Miyapo Egg Farms.
Footage reveals the life of chickens on factory farms.
How slaughterhouses kill thousands of chickens an hour.
Inside the UK's chicken farms: Undercover investigation.
Leaked footage shows cruelty on German chicken farm.
Tesco chicken cruelty exposed - undercover investigation by Open Cages.
The truth behind chicken farming in the UK.
Why the egg industry 'shreds' baby chicks alive.
Baby chicks ground up alive.
