Teenager refuses to kill her chicken for a class project

[kla37]

Welcome Whitney! So good to see you joined us chicken crazi people!

I loved your story and it has certainly started a lot of interesting discussions, and thank you for clarifying some of the points others may have missed. We love to see pictures on here, so post one of Chicklett if you can!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

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Hi Whitney, welcome to the board! I hope you stick around for a while.

If - in fact - the school did not make it clear to the students what they were getting into then the school was in the wrong and they wronged you in forcing you to stay in the class. I've got children of my own in school and have seen things happen where the school messed up. I've also seen my kids mess up in that regard as well so I'd want to hear the school's side of the story as well before coming to a conclusion.

If you are not comfortable with change.org version...please check out the many other versions of this event available online...several newspapers, NBC action news, numerous blogs, reference removed by staff and blogs. I welcome everyone to look up Chicklett's facebook and read the information available and newspaper articles. I keep running into the same opposing arguements ...that I could of opted out (not true), that I should have known what i was getting into (not true) etc.

The medium is a pretty big part of the message here. When the (references removed) become involved I begin to smell a rat.

BUT...what about killing animals at school in the first place? what about offending large groups of people and traumatizing a handfull of students? what about parental permission? kansas statutes? health and safety of the kids? cruelty toward the chickens? There are so many other concerns related to this event. . They have been communicating with the school and know a great deal about all of this as well. Otherwise, I have had an overwhelming amount of support and I thank you all very very much for that. i hope that more people will read about it, read all that they can on it. ..and then draw a conclusion. I respect differing points of view as long as you have done your homework. I hope that even if you don't agree with my decision that you can at least respect it or understand. I will always try to do the same for others. I believe the controversy is a blessing because it gets people to talk about or think about the bigger picture. The appropriateness of slaughtering at school, the inhumane way animals are treated in the mass-production food industry and the indifference toward many animals and especially a chicken. I love all of you for caring, reading, posting, supporting and debating. I think you are all beautiful, caring people. This experience has taught me a great deal and I never anticipated the vast numbers of people that would care about "just one chicken." It's a beautiful, amazing thing. The world seems smaller and people seem kinder all of a sudden. I feel hopeful. Thank you all. ~Whitney Hillman & Chicklett

What about killing animals at school? It's an ag course. Maybe you were misinformed about the nature of the class you signed up for, but it's an agriculture class about food production. Not pet chickens. If you were not aware of what you were signing up for I can appreciate that you did not want to do it, but you did not have to actually kill anything. Others would have done that. All you would have to do was assist in processing the bird. It's smelly and dirty, but no more so than dissecting frogs and earthworms that biology students the world over have to do. There are procedures to be followed to ensure the health and safety of the students. The school wasn't asking kindergarten students to handle knives and get their hands dirty but high school students who are presumed to be on the edge of adulthood. Life is sometimes messy. Young children are usually excused from having to cope with the messier aspects, but adults and those who are about to become adults not so much.

It may be the school did you wrong in not being clear as to what you were signing up for and if that is the case they should sincerely apologize. And it may be that since we see the (reference removed by staff). championing this case that there was knowledge aforethought about exactly what was going to happen.

Please do stick around and learn here as well.​

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

A.T. Hagan :

If you are not comfortable with change.org version...please check out the many other versions of this event available online...several newspapers, NBC action news, numerous blogs, (reference removed by staff) and blogs. I welcome everyone to look up Chicklett's facebook and read the information available and newspaper articles. I keep running into the same opposing arguements ...that I could of opted out (not true), that I should have known what i was getting into (not true) etc.

The medium is a pretty big part of the message here. When the Humane Society of the United States, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and United Poultry Concerns become involved I begin to smell a rat.​

X2​

 

[greeneggsandham]

Quote:
The medium is a pretty big part of the message here. When the Humane Society of the United States, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and United Poultry Concerns become involved I begin to smell a rat.

X2

X3

 

[wildeflowers]

BUT...what about killing animals at school in the first place? what about offending large groups of people and traumatizing a handfull of students? what about parental permission? kansas statutes? health and safety of the kids? cruelty toward the chickens?

Whitney, I understand where you are coming from. However, I think this is truly the finest example of mountain out of a molehill I've ever heard. I have to agree with A.T., this was an ag course. Now I DO agree that you should have been informed. However, I'm not sure what you thought would be involved in an ag course. Are we really so far removed from what agriculture is that it didn't occur to anyone that would mean the animals involved would be a food source? Really?

I also find it a bit disingenuous that you eat animals for food, animals that are raised brutally and slaughtered in ways much worse than you were asked to, but you have a problem with raising an animal for food yourself and slaughtering it in the quickest, most humane way possible. It does not follow logic.

If I may make a suggestion, I would think long and hard about the morality of raising a chicken in a healthy and well cared for environment to be used for food vs. the way animals are treated in factory farming. If slaughtering chickens really bothers you, and it's not just about the fact that you never want to have to deal with it yourself, then I would think that is where your energy should be directed. Does anyone enjoy killing animals for food? I can't think of a single person that does, but it is necessary to provide us with the meat that graces our tables, yours AND mine.​

 

[Organics North]

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X2

X3

Actually X4 but to AT's entire post.. Well written.!

While animal wealfare is an "issue", that likely all will never come to agreement on, I find interest in this situation relating more too the education system. As AT said, I would like to hear the schools side of the story too..

ON

 

[speckledhen]

Welcome Whitney! Glad to see you have joined us here. I wanted to mention, however, that the rules of BYC do not allow discussions of certain animal activist groups so will have to remove those references from this thread. I'm sure you'll learn lots from this entire situation, as well as from BYC.

Folks, please do not quote references over and over that you know we will have to remove. Makes more work for us.

 

[Alabama ee]

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Here, there are several ag classes. There is one for chicken production...but it does not involve killing the chickens. The kids raise the chickens. They feed, and take care of them. They track expenses during the raising process. When they are grown, they have a special auction where they sell half the birds. The kids keep the other half. 4-H has something just like it.

 

[greeneggsandham]

I believe this is the school in question. http://www.usd333.com/vnews/display.v/ART/495e2ea27bc28

If you go to the Animal Science Profile you will see under outline IX (9) animal products. It says "Describe humane commercial animal slaughter and processing" Who is to say that there was not going to be labs on the processing of animals.

I find it hard to believe that these students were told as a last minute thing. Schools can get in big trouble for stuff like this. I just remember when I took an Animal Science class we were told what we would be doing. Just saying.

 

[ZooMummzy]

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Me too!!!

I find this all very disturbing too and would be having a major discussion with this school. This is definitely not ok.