Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Pastel the Rooster]

As awful as it sounds, I hope all those b

What kind of event was this that you were all out abusing chickens?
This sounds awful!

We were not abusing chickens! Or at least I wasn’t. It was Poultry Eval for my FFA chapter at my school. I knew that it was going to be bad. They are meat birds and laying hens straight from a bird factory, so they have never gotten the proper care. It is a competition, to see how well you can judge meat and laying birds, cooked chickens products, raw products, and whole chickens carcasses. As awful as it sounds, I hope that all those live chickens pass away soon, that way they stop suffering. I wanted so badly to make an offer to buy the four laying hens, but I knew that I couldn’t. It broke my heart. I almost broke the silence that was in the room by screaming at people for dropping the birds and throwing them the the cages. It was awful. I was the only one who felt bad for the hens. I was the only one who pet them and gave them quick chin rubs. I was the only one who didn’t throw them in the cages or drop them, nor yank them out of the cages without getting their wing or feet stuck. I promise, I was not abusing them. I just want them to be put out of their misery and suffering. I hate hen factories. I’m sorry. It just really upset me, needing to be quiet and not being able to help people grab the chickens. It hurt me just as bad as it hurt the chickens. My dad wouldn’t give a crap, because in his mind, they are livestock that should die when they slow down egg production. It was pure animal abuse.

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes if Chiquita decided today that she was done I think they would be fine. Thankfully she is showing zero inclination at this time that she is even close to being done. I'm hoping she has at least another week if not 2 with her chicks. Actually if she wants to kick it up a notch and be the epitome of a silkie mother, she can hang onto them for 3 months or longer. I think back in the summer when she had Goose she hung onto them for I think right at 3 months or just over.

Yes I remember! Henny Penny was the same - just about 3 months... then they decided they didn't need her! Poor Henny!

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

I believe that’s a typo…? “The chickens were badly abused” probably a farming/ag/where food comes from sort of thing I won’t go on the usual commercial chicken operation spiel. Modern broilers are “obese” by nature. And the lack of shavings in commercial style egg operations… well there’s a reason rescue chickens are “rescues”

These were no rescue chickens, and the broilers were way past due being processed. It was a horrible, abusive place

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

I promise, at the poultry eval, I was not abusing the animals. Me and my other teammates were the only ones not abusing them. Maybe a handful of other kids. It was torture for me to need to silently watch. I promise, I was screaming swear words in my mind the whole time. Especially when I heard and saw people pick the birds up the wrong way and the birds scream in pain.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

The event was supposed to be fun. No one there loved chickens as much as I do, so in their eyes, they were doing nothing wrong.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Ack, I don’t like the scilence! Someone please say something!

 

[Kris5902]

These were no rescue chickens, and the broilers were way past due being processed. It was a horrible, abusive place

What I was referring to is when people take in their rescue chickens from commercial poultry operations, that there is a reason they are “rescues”. The standard commercial poultry practices do not really account for the well-being of the animals. It’s very hard to keep Broilers alive past processing age. I am not surprised. Most would be considered obese by 10-12 weeks if not put on a restrictive diet.

My husband is a butcher, and when we were working at Wholefoods his department was able to tour one of the top quality poultry producers in our province, and even they have issues, although much fewer. You really don’t want to know what those Costco/Walmart broiler chicken conditions are like, or where those eggs at $4 in the dollar general are being produced.

What has me puzzled is why if it’s for poultry judging you are learning off of spent hens and broilers that should probably have perished by heart attack already. I did note at the PNE “farm” exhibit last year, they were trying to pass off a 10-12 week cockerel as being a 6month old “ready for harvest rooster” that I actually doubt was even a CX… so there’s a lot of fake chicken industry PR out there as well as all the PETA propaganda.

 

[RoyalChick]

I promise, at the poultry eval, I was not abusing the animals. Me and my other teammates were the only ones not abusing them. Maybe a handful of other kids. It was torture for me to need to silently watch. I promise, I was screaming swear words in my mind the whole time. Especially when I heard and saw people pick the birds up the wrong way and the birds scream in pain.

I can’t believe kids were being taught that was OK.
So sorry for you and for the abused chickens.
Just heartbreaking.

 

[Ponypoor]

As awful as it sounds, I hope all those b

We were not abusing chickens! Or at least I wasn’t. It was Poultry Eval for my FFA chapter at my school. I knew that it was going to be bad. They are meat birds and laying hens straight from a bird factory, so they have never gotten the proper care. It is a competition, to see how well you can judge meat and laying birds, cooked chickens products, raw products, and whole chickens carcasses. As awful as it sounds, I hope that all those live chickens pass away soon, that way they stop suffering. I wanted so badly to make an offer to buy the four laying hens, but I knew that I couldn’t. It broke my heart. I almost broke the silence that was in the room by screaming at people for dropping the birds and throwing them the the cages. It was awful. I was the only one who felt bad for the hens. I was the only one who pet them and gave them quick chin rubs. I was the only one who didn’t throw them in the cages or drop them, nor yank them out of the cages without getting their wing or feet stuck. I promise, I was not abusing them. I just want them to be put out of their misery and suffering. I hate hen factories. I’m sorry. It just really upset me, needing to be quiet and not being able to help people grab the chickens. It hurt me just as bad as it hurt the chickens. My dad wouldn’t give a crap, because in his mind, they are livestock that should die when they slow down egg production. It was pure animal abuse.

I am sorry you had to witness that. But you need to look at this as an opportunity to make changes, one person's voice can be heard and you can be that person.

The key is to not annoy people that may be on the fence and potentially persuaded to your point of view, rather than annoyed and dissuaded by rhetoric.

I only takes one person to make a positive change in this world, if you don't like how something is, if it is cruel, write about your experience and send you story to someone. They might not listen - but then again maybe they will, but you won't know until your try!

This world is full of sad and cruel things, it's all in what you wish to have happen to make change.

Tax
Some fluffy kids fluffing about (and I think that might be horse doodoo!)

 

[RoyalChick]

Ack, I don’t like the scilence! Someone please say something!