Pullets at what cost? (...not in dollars and cents)

[ShrekDawg]

Oh and also I feel like people probably don't think it's humane because it just sounds so gruesome, being thrown in a grinder at 1 day old, and I mean, I admit it does SOUND gross and I feel awful for the chicks not getting to live a life. But I was thinking about it last night and realized that some of the more socially acceptable ways, like death by a nice little shot, decapitation, etc. Likely take way longer are actually probably less humane than this. But it just sounds so gross and the chicks do not get to experience the joys of life and being a chicken and I believe that's where it stems from. Although I do think they should try to find a way where they can not have to cull innocent chicks. And i will say if anyone still uses the trash bag method or pulling heads, that that is gruesome and disgustingly inhumane

 

[ShrekDawg]

Althhough i do think theres was well written and made some good points

 

[CrazyTalk]

The problem with supporting an argument with religion on mixed boards like this is that it effectively ends the conversation.

If I disagree with you, I have only a couple choices:

1. I walk away.
2. I concede to your religious beliefs
3. I start attacking the basis for your argument - your religious beliefs.

All of these end any effective exchange of information.


As to your comment about things sounding gross - that's exactly it - people who haven't grown up with (or become accustomed to) the inner workings of our food system (or creating food on their own) very often are unable to separate their squeamishness and aversion to physical violence from their sense of what is humane.

We see this very often in the meat forum, or in the health forums where people need to put down sick birds - they'll go to all sorts of lengths to find ways to kill the bird without violence (on the idea that its not humane) - people do absolutely terrible things to animals thinking they're doing something good - just because they're squeamish. The truth is - the fastest death is usually the most humane - and the fastest death is often achieved by inflicting significant physical trauma.

The grinders they use on chicks are spinning at several thousand RPM - and it only takes probably a quarter revolution to kill a chick. We're talking about a couple hundredths of a second.

Male livestock get a pretty short shake - from veal calves in the milk industry, to ram lambs going to market, etc. Generally females are kept, males are slaughtered at a young age.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh yeah, I can definitely understand how that could immediately end a conversation and I wasn't necessarily saying the religious bits were good. In fact, the good points I mentioned were more towards the beginning about the industrial bit and even the cows milk for cows thing, more on that in a sec. It was written like an essay. But I actually thought the religious bits were where it turned a bit weird. Even though I myself am relatively religious, though not to that level, I thought the stuff about having an aversion to violence and eating animals because you long for Eden was a bit of a stretch and kinda out there.... maybe it is true, i dont know, and if so, cool, but a tad odd. As for the cows, even though they've been bred for milk i kind of agree that milk should be for them, theres better sources of calcium anyway. Though I love ice cream. However I did think the egg thing was wacky. Chickens lay with or without a roo so if we didn't collect the eggs they would just rot..

Yes that is exactly it and you said it much better than I could have! I could not think of why people would think something was inhumane and you exactly said it - violence is perceived as painful.

I absolutely agree, it seems gross or cruel but it stresses the animals out having them on a block or wherever else a long time. It stresses them taking time to talk to them and do it slow. A shot takes a while to course through the body and I imagine is painful. Plus sometimes it doesn't even work and they have to redo it. Could you imagine? Gassing, drowning, and poison I feel like EVERYONE can agree truly ARE inhumane. Violence is fast and easy and I am sure the animal would rather have that.

It seems cruel but if it takes less than one second then that's a lot better.

But yes, males definitely do and I feel that's why people get upset by it and imo, rightfully so. I wisb they kept more males or more people wanted them

 

[Liddy]

Interesting question and discussion. I myself have no qualms about purchasing pullets and sending the male chicks off to be used for feed or fertilizer. It's the way of the world and has been for a long, long time.

As for grinding them, it's swift and that means less painful for the chick, which has no clue anyway at a few hours of age.

 

[realsis]

I am guilty of buying all pullets from hatcheries. I just try not to think of what's done to the males. I'm a huge animal lover and i'd probably cry if I thought of it. I much perfer to not think about it. I guess that makes me technically part of the problem and not the soultion if I'm to be honnest. however i can't have males where I live so I order females and try not to think of the problem I'm contributing too. I hope in the future they can sex eggs so these little guys don't have such a tragic end.