Had a presentation from an industry poultry veterinarian. Just found this little bit interesting.
A veterinarian employed by the poultry industry will probably put a positive spin on the industry that writes his checks.
Agreed. From what I know of the industry over here, they will usually only meet the lowest standard... and attempts to film in average intensive poultry farms wre refused while they claimed the chickens were well looked after.
Average Size of a Chicken House: about 44 ft x 400 ft
Average number of chickens per house: about 23k
Average Chickens/sq.ft : roughly 1.5
Hmmm...see I have problems with "Averages"
On average Vermonters are less obese than the average American but that does not mean most Vermonters are not obese.
Now think how small a growing chicken is. Most chickens are taken to slaughter at between 4.5-6 lbs, so we aren't talking fully grown chickens either.
Why do the beaks have to be cut off then? Oh right. Stress
Until a very late stage of growth...that's really not that crowded at all.
Some other facts from a previous poultry industry class:
Houses are maintained at around 75 F and well ventilated to promote respiratory health and disease prevention
Steroids are NOT used in the chicken industry.
Maybe not, but have they been genetically altered to grow larger breasts? (the breast being the more preferred part of the chicken)
"genetically altered"? Bad phrasing. Have a look at a Belgian Blue cow to see what selective breeding can do (they have so much muscle the breed wouldn't survive in nature but has beena round since the early 1800s).
You'd be better to say "bred to grow unnaturally large breasts".
The industry has begun to slow the growth of the chickens and increase vit.D/Calcium intake in chicken diets to prevent bone-growth issues.
That would be because they grow so rapidly that their bones are not developed well enough to support them. Because hundreds of millions of chickens die every year before reaching slaughter weight at 6 weeks of age, the industry is hoping that by slowing the growth and with the increase of vit.D/Calcium they will be able to extend the life and economic value of more chickens.
I'm definitely not saying the industry is perfect. But it's also no where near as horrible as people make it out to be.
I had an uncle who worked in a chicken possessing plant/slaughter house for six months until he couldn't take in any longer. I suggest you do the same.
*MySmiley*
Robert Graves "There is no money in poetry, but then there is no poetry in money, either."
Henning Mankell "We must defend the open society, because if we start locking our doors, if we let fear decide, the person who committed the act of terror will win"
Robert Graves "There is no money in poetry, but then there is no poetry in money, either."
Henning Mankell "We must defend the open society, because if we start locking our doors, if we let fear decide, the person who committed the act of terror will win"
On "Chicken Crowding"
- 09/11/2009 06:09:38 PM
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um
- 09/11/2009 06:16:06 PM
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mk, some clarification
- 09/11/2009 06:33:17 PM
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you obviously have not seen the documentary "Food Inc" , please watch it *NM*
- 09/11/2009 08:09:28 PM
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This might help
- 10/11/2009 11:13:17 AM
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even just reading the fact check (what I did), that's pretty awful.
- 10/11/2009 03:07:39 PM
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Ya know...
- 09/11/2009 08:49:32 PM
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Which is great if you can only think in binary
- 09/11/2009 10:59:29 PM
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- 09/11/2009 10:59:29 PM
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free range has a lot of issues people don't know about
- 09/11/2009 11:15:10 PM
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Indeed, it isn't perfect.
- 09/11/2009 11:31:36 PM
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i would pick the regulated one.
- 09/11/2009 11:32:50 PM
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Well that is a clear issue
- 09/11/2009 11:44:07 PM
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yeah
- 10/11/2009 02:16:19 AM
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the pain problem with the diesase management
- 10/11/2009 02:21:31 AM
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I suggest you shut the flock up. 
- 10/11/2009 02:30:28 AM
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- 10/11/2009 02:30:28 AM
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you are horrible
- 10/11/2009 02:37:15 AM
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flock-to-flock contamination is quite a problem if you're trying to not feed the birds antibiotics.
- 10/11/2009 02:59:10 AM
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Ummm...
- 10/11/2009 08:05:20 PM
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Some questions and comments:
- 09/11/2009 09:37:56 PM
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Re: Some questions and comments:
- 09/11/2009 11:07:32 PM
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Re: Some questions and comments:
- 09/11/2009 11:19:07 PM
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Dear meathead
- 09/11/2009 11:33:36 PM
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- 09/11/2009 11:33:36 PM
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i was not referring specifically to you.
- 09/11/2009 11:35:01 PM
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Fair enough, I didn't realise you were making unrelated comments for no clear reason
- 09/11/2009 11:42:59 PM
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it was related to what you were saying about standards
- 09/11/2009 11:44:27 PM
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No, it was not related to what I was saying about chicken raising standards
- 10/11/2009 10:55:18 AM
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LOL, sorry sis, but the meathead thing was cute. Methinks I have a new nickname for my favoritest.
- 10/11/2009 12:43:08 AM
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*sigh*
- 09/11/2009 11:14:27 PM
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You should use the quote box thingy on the far right of the Smiley Codes, it would make it easier
- 10/11/2009 01:01:02 AM
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right on.
- 10/11/2009 05:20:48 PM
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we modified every domestic animal we have
- 10/11/2009 05:36:37 PM
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especially chickens. Chickens haven't even really ever lived in the wild...
- 15/11/2009 05:25:20 PM
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I know what you're trying to say, and I believe you.
- 10/11/2009 02:54:09 AM
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most domesticated animals don't eat what they'd "naturally" eat
- 10/11/2009 01:10:36 PM
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true. But I think at this point we are getting away from commercially raised and more towards pets.
- 10/11/2009 02:29:01 PM
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A full-grown chicken needs 4sq ft coop and 10 sq ft outside space...
- 15/11/2009 12:51:00 AM
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