What is a battery chicken

[KristyHall]

Quote:

 

[Urk-ah-urk-ah-urr']

"Battery chickens"
I did a stupid thing. I know, I know... "So, what's new, Richard?"... anyway...

I went on-line to research poultry farms/poultry sales/chickens for sale, etc. in the Lake Vancouver, Washington area. I am chomping at the bit to get moved up to Washington and get my Eco-life going.
However, you know how research on the computer goes... one thread leads off to another... and another.

There are a lot of places to order mixed or sexed batches. "Hmmm," I wondered, "What do they do with all the male chicks"? I thought they were raised and used as meat birds just like my grandmother did...
I won't discuss what happens to the ones as soon as they are determined to be the unwanted males other than to suggest two words, "Chicken" and "Byproducts". Check your pet's food ingredients. I can't support that.
I ended up on a site about battery hen rescue. I though, "Hey, what a great idea"!
I read on and... well, I have never seen such a horrific example of "live-stock" in my life. Four to six hens crammed into a 12"x12"x24" cage... do you have any hens that are under 12" tall? Most with no feathers... most of them barely standing up... ever. These girls never walk except to turn around to the point that their legs push to the sides and they waddle on their bodies. Some exhibit open pressure wounds or injuries and, after 18 month or so of this torment, they are simply ripped out of the cages and well, you know the brutal images of chicken slaughter houses. I can't bring myself to eat market eggs anymore... period... not for years. "Cage-less" eggs? Get real... do your research. Hundreds of birds living, eating, laying and, sometimes, slowly dieing in piles their own filth... I don't eat chicken either.

Ok... enough... I can't talk about that anymore. I only brought it up to end on a brighter note.
If you look at "You-tube" for battery chicken rescue, there is a wonderful story of the rescue of 24 red-brown, little hens. Hard to watch the first part for obvious reasons... but the end... well... if you love chickens... it will bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your heart.

I know there are reputable poultry dealers. People who actually care about their birds other than income producers. I suppose I will just have to keep my eyes/ears open and pickup some grown birds that someone needs to find a home for and hope for the best.

So... to everyone I just hacked off... to everyone I just offended... to everyone I just, completely, p...ed off, I truly apologize. No need to reply just to try and blast my ears off.

I also realize that I am "preaching to the choir" but, I needed to 'vent' a little.
Besides... this is "Random Ramblings", after all.


Thanks, kids
Peace and blessed be

 

[mrslb333]

I have several rescued ex battery hens, my ladies have a lovely life now they took a while to adjust and gain their strength as they were in a pitiful state when we got them but they made it through and will hopefully have many years of proper life ahead of them

"Battery chickens"
I did a stupid thing. I know, I know... "So, what's new, Richard?"... anyway...

I went on-line to research poultry farms/poultry sales/chickens for sale, etc. in the Lake Vancouver, Washington area. I am chomping at the bit to get moved up to Washington and get my Eco-life going.
However, you know how research on the computer goes... one thread leads off to another... and another.

There are a lot of places to order mixed or sexed batches. "Hmmm," I wondered, "What do they do with all the male chicks"? I thought they were raised and used as meat birds just like my grandmother did...
I won't discuss what happens to the ones as soon as they are determined to be the unwanted males other than to suggest two words, "Chicken" and "Byproducts". Check your pet's food ingredients. I can't support that.
I ended up on a site about battery hen rescue. I though, "Hey, what a great idea"!
I read on and... well, I have never seen such a horrific example of "live-stock" in my life. Four to six hens crammed into a 12"x12"x24" cage... do you have any hens that are under 12" tall? Most with no feathers... most of them barely standing up... ever. These girls never walk except to turn around to the point that their legs push to the sides and they waddle on their bodies. Some exhibit open pressure wounds or injuries and, after 18 month or so of this torment, they are simply ripped out of the cages and well, you know the brutal images of chicken slaughter houses. I can't bring myself to eat market eggs anymore... period... not for years. "Cage-less" eggs? Get real... do your research. Hundreds of birds living, eating, laying and, sometimes, slowly dieing in piles their own filth... I don't eat chicken either.

Ok... enough... I can't talk about that anymore. I only brought it up to end on a brighter note.
If you look at "You-tube" for battery chicken rescue, there is a wonderful story of the rescue of 24 red-brown, little hens. Hard to watch the first part for obvious reasons... but the end... well... if you love chickens... it will bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your heart.

I know there are reputable poultry dealers. People who actually care about their birds other than income producers. I suppose I will just have to keep my eyes/ears open and pickup some grown birds that someone needs to find a home for and hope for the best.

So... to everyone I just hacked off... to everyone I just offended... to everyone I just, completely, p...ed off, I truly apologize. No need to reply just to try and blast my ears off.

I also realize that I am "preaching to the choir" but, I needed to 'vent' a little.
Besides... this is "Random Ramblings", after all.


Thanks, kids
Peace and blessed be

 

[goosehead]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/636168/clearly-not-my-hens-rescue-story-ca here's a link that was posted a few days ago about battery hens

 

[hokankai]

Here's where store-bought eggs come from; these are battery hens. They are usually kept 4+ to a cage

 

[yomama]

One of the many turning points that led me to raise my own chickens:

A few years back, I had just learned what battery hens were. Of course, I decided to go cruising through all the links the Internet provides about battery hens. Yes, I was thoroughly disgusted and heartbroken.Not with only the environment in which they were kept in, but how the hens were moved from the factory to the truck, to be taken away and disposed of. They are thrown and shoved into crates, like they were garbage. (at least the ones I saw) Anyway, I was driving on the freeway, and up along side of me comes this huge semi truck. On its trailer were crates upon crates of battery hens crammed together. There had to of been at least 100-150 crates. And I mean these birds were crammed together! It was obvious they could not move, some upside down and sideways. Not only that, they had no protection from the wind of driving on the freeway. I can't imagine how stressed and terrified they were. What really got me, was as they passed, I was able to look one directly in the eyes. It just broke my heart. I reached my destination and just sat in the parking lot crying for like 10 minutes.Still brings tears to my eyes today. I know that not all places treat their hens this way, at least I hope. I have since learned that I cannot look at links of how farm factory animals are treated. I've seen enough to know how horrible it is. I just can't stand to see it anymore. I looked into rescuing some battery hens, but I could find anywhere around here that did that, even though we have a handful of large egg companies around here. All the ones I could find were in the UK. Just a bit far for me, lol.

 

[goosehead]

its so sad how they are treated