Makes me rethink buying Hatchery Chicks

[Egg_newton]

I found this video on sexing day old chicks and I was apalled at how roughly these little guys and dolls were handled.

However, the feather sexing was interesting

 

[BirdBrain]

Chickens can be awfully hard on each other so if this is the worst the go through I guess they'll be okay.

 

[Orphy]

I don't know, personally I wish I could ride on one of those chutes where they zip through and land in the bin. The bin wasn't that far from the chute so it isn't like they had a far fall.. more like one of the water rides at a theme park. I have read through vegetarian magazines where it talked about sexing chicks and it was made to sound all painful with tools and bleeding and all kinds of weirdo stuff. I didn't see any of that on those videos, plus the chicks all turn out ok.
I think my son went through a worse time with circumcision after he was born. he turned out ok, doesn't even remember it LOL

 

[IggiMom]

The history channel on Modern Marvels had a feature about eggs and they showed how they were handled. And then I think of how I GENTLY and CAREFULLY pick up my eggs, being sure, of course to wash my hands before so doing. All the care I give them.

And naturally they get a much better hatch rate than I do.

But my chickens are happier in the long run, right?

BTW, that was a very interesting feature on the history channel. Do watch it if you get a chance.

Catherine

 

[bigstack]

I wont get into exact detail but If we dont buy them they have it ALOT worse!!! You ever see the Pink floyd Video The Wall. The part with the kids on the conveyer belt?????? Thats all im gonna say.

Good luck and God Bless!

 

[farmerlor]

I saw the vid and it kinda made me wince a few times but then I remembered that when my son was born it was an emergency. They cut me open and pulled that kid out by his legs so fast it should have given him whiplash. I think babies are a lot more sturdy than we give them credit for.

 

[Egg_newton]

i know, i know. They turn out just fine. But, I just hate to see them tossed around like I would a dirty ol sock.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

I don't think hatcheries should be banded....but I don't buy from them either. Just my personal choice.

I have never owned a hatchery bird. I preferr to hatch my own eggs from smaller breeders who treat their birds like they are more then just a chirpping buck.

As for the sexing part of the video...interesting.

 

[Ban seabhag]

I watched a program (neutral in opinion) about chicks in large hatcheries and the poor little wretches were tumbled through rollers, down a conveyor belt where they were sexed and dumped into a chute onto another conveyor belt and poured into boxes. It told me 2 things: chicks are unbelievably tough, and I would never buy them except from small local hatchers I know......

 

[Serrin]

I'm sort of sitting on the fence on this one. There are over 300 million people in this country (USA) alone. Somehow, someway, we gotta feed all those people, and large, industrial food complexes are really the only way that's going to happen and still keep the cost down. Not everyone is in the position to have a small back yard flock, more's the pity.

But, since I am in a position to have my own livestock, vegetable gardens, and access to some really good fishing lakes in my area, I prefer to get as much of my sustenance from my own land or local growers/producers as possible, than to buy from large chain stores.

For me, probably the most objectionable part of that video is the impersonal nature of the entire operation. Like Jess N Jeff said...the chicks are just chirping bucks to them. Something about that bothers me. It speaks to the whole disconnect that we as a society have with our food in general.

I suppose that's why the DH and I have moved away from commercially processed foods as much as we can. And every year, we manage to get yet a little further away from it. Which is also why I'm in here, pouring over everything I can learn about incubating and hatching, every spare moment of the day/evening that I can find. Just one more stitch in the fabric that is the tapestry of our lives!