Cruel disposal of unwanted chicks?

[JenellYB]

I am even more horrified at the suffering and treatment of mass cage laying hens and chickens and other animals riased for meat, crowded into tight pens, often filthy inhumate conditions. Even if those chicks really are ground up alive, its fast and brief.

To me, the humane issue is at least right up beside, for some even above, that of eating healthier food, as good reason to raise your own meat and eggs and even milk if its possible for you. You know that the animals has as good a life as possible while it was alive, even those you slaughter for meat, you know how they are alughtered, have control over it, that it be as little stressful, quick and humane as possible. With all that has come about about treatment of animals in agribusiness, not just fron radicals like PETA, that has come to bother me more and more about the 'anonymous' meat and milk and eggs bought at the store....some people feel better not thinking of that meat as a once living animal or of the conditions of the life of those laying hens and dairy cows, couldn't imagine killing an animnal to eat it, especially one they raised and petted and talked to....but I feel the opposite....I can see myself, if i keep feeling this in my conscience more and more as i have been in recent years, having to choose either to become vegetarian or raise my own or at least only eat what I can get from local provate sources i feel good about.

 

[ShaggyRay]

I stumbled across the video in question while researching what hatchery to buy my day old chicks from. So I guess we are all agreed. Chickens are tasty. Eggs are excellent and needed. Unfortunately, these male chicks need to be destroyed in a humane way. PETA or whoever can be given an ataboy for exposing these horrible and evil deeds at Hyline, and I still recognize evil when I see it. For the film crew's efforts, may I be the first to buy them a steak dinner. Hyline needs to be heavily fined, monitored, and people in charge removed from the industry. Finally if Hyline cannot get their act together, they should be put the heck out of business. The government should enforce animal cruelty laws that are on the books and stay out of everyone else's business. If no laws were broken, then maybe the people of California might want to step up and fix it. Oh wait, this was in California. Nevermind, the people of California get no say. Just ask their judges if you don't believe me. (By the way my opinions are rarely humble and yours shouldn't be either.)

 

[NYREDS]

Heavily fined for what? There's nothing illegal about disposing of unwanted male chicks. What would you solution to this "problem" be? Retirement ranches where billions of male chickens would be cared for at government expense until they died of old age.
I too recognize evil when I see it & I don't see evil here, just practical reality. I also recognize foolishness when I see it.

I stumbled across the video in question while researching what hatchery to buy my day old chicks from. So I guess we are all agreed. Chickens are tasty. Eggs are excellent and needed. Unfortunately, these male chicks need to be destroyed in a humane way. PETA or whoever can be given an ataboy for exposing these horrible and evil deeds at Hyline, and I still recognize evil when I see it. For the film crew's efforts, may I be the first to buy them a steak dinner. Hyline needs to be heavily fined, monitored, and people in charge removed from the industry. Finally if Hyline cannot get their act together, they should be put the heck out of business. The government should enforce animal cruelty laws that are on the books and stay out of everyone else's business. If no laws were broken, then maybe the people of California might want to step up and fix it. Oh wait, this was in California. Nevermind, the people of California get no say. Just ask their judges if you don't believe me. (By the way my opinions are rarely humble and yours shouldn't be either.)

 

[Oregon Blues]

I've been in many egg ranches and while the conditions aren't the way I raise my birds, I don't think they are cruel or filthy.

Birds are on wire, so the droppings fall through and the birds are not standing in any manure. Food and water is available 24 hours a day. Diet is balanced. They are inside temperature controlled buildings, so not suffering from the weather, not getting snowed on or rained on. They are protected from predators. Some of them even get music piped in.

The chickens don't have space to move much, but a lot of animals will sit around and eat all day without moving. including humans. Put a human in front of a TV, deliver his chips and beer right to his hand so he has no reason to get up for food or water, and he won't move for hours.

The battery hens don't know any different. To them, that's the way life is.

There is a big trade off here. Human children come before chickens., Obviously, those of us here on BYC can afford to pay high prices for our eggs and fried chicken. Many people out there can't. If you raise the price of eggs to $12 a dozen (which is what they would be if you adjust for inflation the price that eggs sold for before the large egg farms), then that would be damaging to lower income families who are trying their best to keep a balanced diet in front of their kids.

If you search long enough, you can find a filthy farm with a cruel owner, and film that one and claim that it represents every egg ranch in the country. You can show it to a lot of people who can be easily manipulated and believe anything they are told.

I would like for us here at BYC to be smarter than that. To do our own research, to look at who is putting out the information and what their agenda is. To verify information from multiple reilable sources.

 

[JenellYB]

Oregon Blues, I agree, the horrible and inhumane conditions are not everywhere, universal, in the industry, but yes there are notable failures...a video on UTube not produced by PETA, but some very sensible people, highlight conditions documented in the faciities of a certain very large commercial egg supplier, that are both inhumane and a human health risk, that will sicken you, and has been used to help force government regulatory enforcement. Same with some that has been exposed in other livestock production and handling and slaughter.

And, that just because condtions are not as any of us ourself might prefer for our animals, doesn't neccesarily mean they are horrible and inhumane and unsafe.

I'm just not entirely comfortable with that doubt, when I consume 'anonymous' animal products, not know if I am contributing even i just my one tiny way, to some of that suffering. I presently have only my little 'bird cage laying hen' I recently came by, haven't myself maintained a flock in some years.. other than 3 hens for several years, a couple years back, for sake of my terminaly ill sister that stayed here with me, who'd always lived in the city and dreamed of someday having some laying hens of her own, its been 20-25 yrs ago for me. After she passed, I gave them to the backyard keeper I've gotten eggs from for years. Being alone, and needing few eggs, right now my little bird cage bantam hen is actually providing all my egg use needs. But in recent years, I have been getting my eggs from a local with a backyard flock.

 

[ShaggyRay]

To NYReds
Foolishness is not comprehending what one reads, but only seeing what they want. Maybe we did not watch the same video but scalding the chick with hot water that doesn't kill, is not disposing of it. Letting the chick get caught in the equipment and maimed then tossed on the floor without wringing its neck first, is not disposing of it. Letting the chicks float in buckets of sewage until they drown or succumb to injuries is not disposing of male chicks. It is animal cruelty. If you still cannot see that my friend, then substitue the word puppy everywhere that you see chick in this post.
If you still think hyline is doing nothing wrong and that these chicks cannot be dispatched better, then I will put you on my prayer list. Wait do you own hyline stock? Cause other egg farms, hatcheries, commercial farms do better than this.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Omg, I totally agree 100% with you! It's absurd how much we waste in America.

 

[EweSheep]

If it is THAT bad, why do you think the government hasn't shut down the factory/hatchery a LONG time ago? If they continue with this practice, and that video has been hanging around, then something is up. If something like this gets around, it would be investigated and shut down in a HOT second. So far, nothing so they must have been doing a GOOD job hiding the fact of cruelty being done or the government got better ideas of dispatching chicks. Not all chicks would go down the "wrong" way, a few would get out of the killing chutes but they will not survive much longer without the warmth of his companions or someone may have found them later and disposed of them. Like wild animals or any animals, that are destinated to their deaths, you will get some surivivors or escapees, either they succeed or die horribly from elements or sooner or later, humans will put them to their deaths a lot quicker.

If you want to do the hatcheries a favor, quit buying the chicks and raise your own or buy hatching eggs. That is one less customer to deal with but you can not go against a hatchery that service THOUSANDS of customers buying chicks or keep customers from buying hatchery chicks.

Like the ASCPA ads, we have become numb and selfish, simply because we want pullets to lay eggs. I'd rather send the male chicks to their deaths in a quick manner, even it is ground up or chopped up by whirling blades, it will be quick and no more prelong suffering sitting there waiting to die.

Bottom point, we ALL have choices. I am not going to lose sleep over something like this, worrying about those male chicks not having homes or having a quicker death. Sorry to be blunt but we all contribute to supporting the hatcheries.

The only hatchery I know of that does not dispose male baby chicks, are Sandhill Preservation. I am VERY certain they do sell them elsewhere, like to an auction or give them away to the Amish/needy people who would use those roosters for the table. If you like that, go buy your chicks from Sandhill.

To NYReds
Foolishness is not comprehending what one reads, but only seeing what they want. Maybe we did not watch the same video but scalding the chick with hot water that doesn't kill, is not disposing of it. Letting the chick get caught in the equipment and maimed then tossed on the floor without wringing its neck first, is not disposing of it. Letting the chicks float in buckets of sewage until they drown or succumb to injuries is not disposing of male chicks. It is animal cruelty. If you still cannot see that my friend, then substitue the word puppy everywhere that you see chick in this post.
If you still think hyline is doing nothing wrong and that these chicks cannot be dispatched better, then I will put you on my prayer list. Wait do you own hyline stock? Cause other egg farms, hatcheries, commercial farms do better than this.

 

[NYREDS]

The most sensible thing I've read that you've written.

I've been in many egg ranches and while the conditions aren't the way I raise my birds, I don't think they are cruel or filthy.

Birds are on wire, so the droppings fall through and the birds are not standing in any manure. Food and water is available 24 hours a day. Diet is balanced. They are inside temperature controlled buildings, so not suffering from the weather, not getting snowed on or rained on. They are protected from predators. Some of them even get music piped in.

The chickens don't have space to move much, but a lot of animals will sit around and eat all day without moving. including humans. Put a human in front of a TV, deliver his chips and beer right to his hand so he has no reason to get up for food or water, and he won't move for hours.

The battery hens don't know any different. To them, that's the way life is.

There is a big trade off here. Human children come before chickens., Obviously, those of us here on BYC can afford to pay high prices for our eggs and fried chicken. Many people out there can't. If you raise the price of eggs to $12 a dozen (which is what they would be if you adjust for inflation the price that eggs sold for before the large egg farms), then that would be damaging to lower income families who are trying their best to keep a balanced diet in front of their kids.

If you search long enough, you can find a filthy farm with a cruel owner, and film that one and claim that it represents every egg ranch in the country. You can show it to a lot of people who can be easily manipulated and believe anything they are told.

I would like for us here at BYC to be smarter than that. To do our own research, to look at who is putting out the information and what their agenda is. To verify information from multiple reilable sources.

 

[NYREDS]

Reading comprehension really isn't a problem I have but I suppose like many I do, to some extent, see what I want. I didn't actually watch the referenced video because I actually don't care much. We're talking about unwanted male chicks.. If it really bothers you buy lots of cockerels from hatcheries thar sell sexed chicks.
Substituting puppy for chick doesn't really work for me. Culturally we accept buckets of KFC but balk at KFP. If I were Korean maybe I could equate the two.
Feel free to add me to your prayers. I can use all the help I can get in that regard.
Semper Fi

To NYReds
Foolishness is not comprehending what one reads, but only seeing what they want. Maybe we did not watch the same video but scalding the chick with hot water that doesn't kill, is not disposing of it. Letting the chick get caught in the equipment and maimed then tossed on the floor without wringing its neck first, is not disposing of it. Letting the chicks float in buckets of sewage until they drown or succumb to injuries is not disposing of male chicks. It is animal cruelty. If you still cannot see that my friend, then substitue the word puppy everywhere that you see chick in this post.
If you still think hyline is doing nothing wrong and that these chicks cannot be dispatched better, then I will put you on my prayer list. Wait do you own hyline stock? Cause other egg farms, hatcheries, commercial farms do better than this.