posted on November 24, 2004 01:20:47 PM new
If you're not fussy about reality, don't read this.
"Slaughter is different from processing in that the raw material is alive, has a central nervous system, can express emotional states, and has biological components like humans." Dr. Janice Swanson, "Why You Should Care About Animal Welfare," American Meat Institute Foundation's 2002 Annual Animal Handling and Stunning Conference, February 21-22, 2002.
At the poultry slaughter plant each day thousands of birds are crammed inside crates stacked on trucks waiting to be killed. Truckload after truckload pulls into the holding dock where huge fans rotate to reduce the number of birds who will die of heat suffocation while waiting to enter the slaughterhouse. During the winter, an untold number of birds freeze to death in the trucks. Others fall out and freeze to the ground on the docks or along the highway. A forklift picks the topmost pallet of crates off each flatbed truck, and the birds disappear into the darkness.
posted on November 24, 2004 02:22:32 PM new
"A forklift picks the topmost pallet of crates off each flatbed truck, and the birds disappear into the darkness. "
posted on November 24, 2004 02:25:14 PM new
It's true kraft. There are alternatives to paying for this kind of inhumanity, and no, you don't need to live on a farm or be a vegetarian.
Free range, organic, small poultry farms are all over the place these days. You'll pay a more, and it will be worth it in every bite.
____________________________________________
Dick Cheney: "I have not suggested there's a connection between Iraq and 9/11..."
posted on November 24, 2004 02:37:23 PM new
Sure, I'd love it if you'd all become vegetarians, but if you do choose to eat meat, do it wisely like Prof said. These animals , whether bred for slaughter or not, have feelings. If I put myself in their shoes, their last few minutes of life must be terrifying and painful in this type of situation. Can you imagine your pet cat or dog going through this? I bet you can't even go there. Worst of all, it's unnecessary but fast and cheap.
Thanks Prof and Classic for the compassion you show towards these animals.
[ edited by kraftdinner on Nov 24, 2004 02:39 PM ]
posted on November 24, 2004 04:14:25 PM new
I had chickens...they are dumb!..and nasty!
I think turkeys are dumber.....
I wouldn't put either at the same level as my cats or dogs.
Pigs are quite intelligent, but I still eat pork. I do, however, buy from a local farmer. Same with most of my beef. I also eat venison, which we hunt.
The ONLY place to hunt for a turkey, though, is your grocer's freezer!...lol!
posted on November 24, 2004 05:27:34 PM new
I was shopping for chicken one day and randomly remarked to a stranger, "Look at the bent bones, how terrible! What kind of karma comes with eating tortured animals?"
Her reply surprised me. "I know what you mean," she said, "I used to work for Foster Farms and only buy their chicken. I know it's raised right."
Nothing like an endorsement from an ex-employee to impress me!
__________
The Democrats were rejected by a majority of Americans
posted on November 24, 2004 08:22:32 PM new
twig, I suppose you considered your poultry dumb because you couldn't teach them tricks, and nasty because you had to clean out their henhouse once a week. Since they had YOU doing all the work, who's dumber??
____________________________________________
Dick Cheney: "I have not suggested there's a connection between Iraq and 9/11..."
posted on November 25, 2004 04:17:16 AM new
Profe-
You've got a point there....
We raised these from chicks. When they became adults, you could feed them, turn to walk away, and they would attack. (I have a few scars on the back of my legs.) We didn't plan on butchering them, I like fresh eggs. But when one went for the youngest's eyes, that was it. You had to carry a shovel, hoe, pitchfork, etc to go out there! The roosters attacked my 150 lb German Shepherd. Kane would still be plucking one and another would attack!
Mark FINALLY butchered them (roosters) and we gave the hens to a relative. He skinned them (I wasn't plucking!) and they were TERRIBLE! The kids thought we were having "rubber chickens" for dinner!....lol!
posted on November 25, 2004 06:49:03 AM new
We have chickens running around free where I live and I have found that it comes in real handy to have a super-soaker squirt gun handy to keep them in line. My opinion is that with poultry this is one case where it's ok to maybe be a little cruel to them by squirting them with water once in awhile just to keep them in line.
It is great fun watching a few kids chasing chickens around and squirting them with super-soakers.
In the summer the chickens would sometimes try to enter my house during the day as I'd work with my door wide open but they quickly learned the boundary not to cross or they would get soaked.
I also found out that they would eat just about anything. I would sometimes shoot rubberbands at them and they would fight over them and eat them. Sometimes I would feed them 30 or 40 rubberbands and when 2 chickens grab a rubberband at the same time, the tugawar that would ensue was funny as all get out. They also love to eat chicken scraps, skins, etc.
[ edited by replaymedia on Nov 24, 2004 01:39 PM ]
