McDonald's finally did something right

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
So what's the difference between "destroying" and "butchering"? Do you feel it's better that these birds have further use as food versus fertilizer? Nutrients for the body versus the soil?

It's probably more sustainable to use these birds as stewing hens than to use them as fertilizer and then raise other birds for meat, but many have a problem with using what is termed as "spent hens" from layer operations, never mind that that 50 years ago these birds were prized as "stewing hens" The USDA has a program for these birds to be deboned for chicken meat for use in school lunches and everybody was outraged last year when the media detailed the program. It seems that everybody felt that this was substandard meat, nothing short of garbage that shouldn't be fed to our children because it was cheaply sourced.

We replace our flock once a year to avoid issues with having to molt the flock to extend production. We butchered 120 birds last year. 60 were deboned and the meat was canned. It is excellent. We had chicken casserole for dinner just last night. The other 60 were frozen whole and were given to family and friends who have really enjoyed them. The rest of the flock was sold to a buyer who trucked them to Chicago where they were sold to various live markets where different ethnic groups like to pick out a live bird for dinner.

There are not always markets for these birds though. Rendering plants are almost non-existent anymore and sometimes the only choice is to compost the birds and turn them into fertilizer which has some value. This fertilizer would be better for the environment than using fertilizers manufactured using petrol based energy.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

This thread was removed earlier today for some reason. Thanks to the moderators for bringing it back.

I think this is fairly reasonable discourse.

 

[speckledhen]

One of our moderators spent the better part of an hour cleaning up this thread so please, keep the discussion civil so we can leave it open. Thank you.

 

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:
+1. It's a lot more work to clean up a thread than it is to nuke it, so kudos to however handled that.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
So what's the difference between "destroying" and "butchering"? Do you feel it's better that these birds have further use as food versus fertilizer? Nutrients for the body versus the soil?

It's probably more sustainable to use these birds as stewing hens than to use them as fertilizer and then raise other birds for meat, but many have a problem with using what is termed as "spent hens" from layer operations, never mind that that 50 years ago these birds were prized as "stewing hens" The USDA has a program for these birds to be deboned for chicken meat for use in school lunches and everybody was outraged last year when the media detailed the program. It seems that everybody felt that this was substandard meat, nothing short of garbage that shouldn't be fed to our children because it was cheaply sourced.

We replace our flock once a year to avoid issues with having to molt the flock to extend production. We butchered 120 birds last year. 60 were deboned and the meat was canned. It is excellent. We had chicken casserole for dinner just last night. The other 60 were frozen whole and were given to family and friends who have really enjoyed them. The rest of the flock was sold to a buyer who trucked them to Chicago where they were sold to various live markets where different ethnic groups like to pick out a live bird for dinner.

There are not always markets for these birds though. Rendering plants are almost non-existent anymore and sometimes the only choice is to compost the birds and turn them into fertilizer which has some value. This fertilizer would be better for the environment than using fertilizers manufactured using petrol based energy.

Waste not, want not! If those spent hens have a purpose, at least you were merciful for them! I'd rather sent them to soup factory when they can not reproduce any more eggs and it is much kinder to have her into soup...that is what she was BRED for. Hatchery type birds fufill that kind of demand and if we had to keep them going in egg production, sooner or later, when they are more than two to three years old, genetic problems pop up (NOT every bird has it but it has happened more often than not). Egg peridotitis and egg impactation takes a toll on them, thus, they would die from it. Their job is to produce eggs at the earliest age, as often and as much they can produce in a 24 hour span. By two years old or less, they are tired, egg production declined. If someone wants to "rescue" a spent hen, well, it is not that bad, knowing that she will live a bit longer but probably does not lay as much as her younger years, or just as the same as exhibition/heritage birds which production was not the front runner in what breeders are looking for.

A guy like Mac in Wisco, I can assure of the quality of his hen and how they were cared for. I would not hestitate to EAT any of his birds, the birds had a happy and healthy life. Better than a battery hen out of cages.

 

[HollyBird24]

Quote:
So what's the difference between "destroying" and "butchering"? Do you feel it's better that these birds have further use as food versus fertilizer? Nutrients for the body versus the soil?

It's probably more sustainable to use these birds as stewing hens than to use them as fertilizer and then raise other birds for meat, but many have a problem with using what is termed as "spent hens" from layer operations, never mind that that 50 years ago these birds were prized as "stewing hens" The USDA has a program for these birds to be deboned for chicken meat for use in school lunches and everybody was outraged last year when the media detailed the program. It seems that everybody felt that this was substandard meat, nothing short of garbage that shouldn't be fed to our children because it was cheaply sourced.

We replace our flock once a year to avoid issues with having to molt the flock to extend production. We butchered 120 birds last year. 60 were deboned and the meat was canned. It is excellent. We had chicken casserole for dinner just last night. The other 60 were frozen whole and were given to family and friends who have really enjoyed them. The rest of the flock was sold to a buyer who trucked them to Chicago where they were sold to various live markets where different ethnic groups like to pick out a live bird for dinner.

There are not always markets for these birds though. Rendering plants are almost non-existent anymore and sometimes the only choice is to compost the birds and turn them into fertilizer which has some value. This fertilizer would be better for the environment than using fertilizers manufactured using petrol based energy.

IMO, yes, its better for them to be used as stewing hens then fertilizer for the soil. The colony is supporting themselves and completely using the bird, from eggs to meat at the end.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
I agree. As EweSheep said, "Waste not, want not", but in regards to treating them humanely and comments about "rescuing" these birds why is there such a difference in our thoughts towards "destroying" them versus "butchering" them. Does the bird that seemingly serves a lesser purpose in the end (fertilizer) more deserving of "rescue" than a bird that serves a greater purpose (food)? As far as the bird is concerned the end result is much of the same.

Isn't it strange how we justify our actions towards these animals? It's a terrible act if they are just killed, but if they are "butchered" that's OK...

 

[HollyBird24]

Quote:
I agree. As EweSheep said, "Waste not, want not", but in regards to treating them humanely and comments about "rescuing" these birds why is there such a difference in our thoughts towards "destroying" them versus "butchering" them. Does the bird that seemingly serves a lesser purpose in the end (fertilizer) more deserving of "rescue" than a bird that serves a greater purpose (food)? As far as the bird is concerned the end result is much of the same.

Isn't it strange how we justify our actions towards these animals? It's a terrible act if they are just killed, but if they are "butchered" that's OK...

I totally see what your saying, really good point. In the end they still die, its just a different word. In my mind, destroy means to render something useless, but butcher means to produce meat. Thats just me though.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Fertilizer turns to food too, just more indirectly.

It used to be that on small farms, older hens went into the food supply, both for animals and for people. A hog would get butchering scraps and people would eat the hens. There are very good reasons why this is not allowed in larger scale farms.

My biggest issue with using spent hens as fertilizer is that it is a poor use of resources. All the energy and food used to grow the bird is expended into the soil. However, the American table, and the American public has gotten used to chicken being white, soft, and relatively flavorless. Spent hens wouldn't taste right, and would require cooking methods that are different from what most Americans are used to. They also wouldn't have the visual appeal to be sold in American supermarkets.

I do think that when you treat animals as purely a commodity, which these large scale chicken farms do, you do bring in an element of callousness. You almost have to. They are no longer anything to empathize with, or see as a creature to be treated humanely; they are simply a means of production. Removing dead birds, and sending spent hens for processing is merely a part of production. However, the cruel treatment that some of these people show goes beyond the lack of empathy for a tool. It certainly crosses the line.

 

[KenK]

I thought that the spent hens were processed into canned soup, broth etc...

Do they use regular broiler chickens to make Campbell's chicken noodle soup?