Live Chicken Vending Machines: The Latest Animal Rights Stunt

NOAH, the German equivalent to PETA, recently installed a live chicken vending machine in Frankfurt in order to call attention to the living conditions of battery-caged hens.

The live chickens were not actually dispensed. Instead, the machine produced coins with eggs on them, with numbers on the coin corresponding to the sort of conditions chickens were raised in. For example, the number 1 indicated free range, while the number 3 meant the chickens were kept in cages.

The video below shows the vending machine in action, along with some facts to get NOAH's point across (at around 35 seconds, the video reads "16 chickens were demonstrating for their right to a fair life." As far as we know, the chickens did not consent to being put inside a fake vending machine). The video also notes, "no chickens were harmed during the campaigning for their fellow hens."

Comments

[trekie70]

08:42 PM on 06/04/2011

Being a food inspector, I can appreciate NOAH's concern for the humane handling of poultry in Germany. However, I think placing the birds inside a vending machine sort of cancels out any increased awareness from this method. It was a novel approach though.

Thankfully, the USDA has regulations concerning the humane handling of livestock at plants and strict guidelines are in place for poultry-not sure what agency is in charge of farm conditions in the US but it may be APHIS.

[catbutt]

11:40 PM on 05/19/2011

What a great idea!!
At first I thought they were selling live chickens, but fresh eggs in a vending machine would be so convenient.

Before you all start the hate thing, let me ask one question.

After we have dismantled the factory chicken coups, factory fisheries, factory farms, and the five slaughter houses, how are we going to feed the 900 million people living in this country?
I want animals to be well-treated just as much as the next person, but it really just comes down to Food Production VS Population, and how we're going to get rid the other 200 million people.

[RevSpaminator]

09:02 PM on 05/20/2011

Soylent Green?

[trekie70]

08:40 PM on 06/04/2011

All good points, catbutt. I chuckled at the people on this thread suggesting we all become vegan. While there are no doubt health benefits to being a vegan, there are most certainly down sides as well.

The aim should be humane treatment, not converting everyone to veganism.

[CAhye]

01:59 PM on 05/19/2011

i think i saw that chicken make a sad face

[LMPE]

12:46 AM on 05/19/2011

And now Iowa has made it illegal to film the conditions in factory farms. =

[mlaiuppa]

01:01 PM on 05/18/2011

What a ripoff. If I put in money I expect to get a chicken. And I would take it home, build a coop and let it run around and eat what God intended. If it gave me healthy eggs in return, all the better. I would name it and it would live a long, happy life. And when she passed away she'd be respectfully interred with the dogs, parakeets, goldfish and other pets that have gone before her.

[kkmousse]

10:28 PM on 05/22/2011

My husband retired and got 3 goats and 7 chickens without my knowledge. We are now up to 31 chickens. I have learned a lot since my husband is not interested in anything from the chickens except for the eggs.
The chickens have killed off some of there fellow chickens. I have learned they are brutal to one another. You have to cull (kill) a non producing chicken or one with bad behavior like eating the eggs (that you want). I do not like that term and we have not had to do it yet. Apparently then they become stew meat.
I am really not into this experience at all, and do all I can to help out any injured chickens, so that they do not end up getting killed by the other chickens. Ugh!
But I like the idea of treating them like a pet that produces eggs (pays for the grain). At least our chickens have room and a outside run-a-round area that have wire to protect them from the hawks and owls and other critters out there in our woods.

[trishamine]

11:29 AM on 05/18/2011

That's an awful life for those poor chickens. Yes I undserstand that they need to be contained , BUT why are they kept in such TINNY cages?? At least give the poor animal a larger cage, so they will be a little more confortable.

[osofar]

07:17 AM on 05/19/2011

Chickens are kept in smaller cages in China, before they are killed and eaten.

[JScott]

10:52 AM on 05/18/2011

I had a relative that worked with egg farmers in rural San Diego County (they were chicken movers)
And yes they were battery caged but what really shocked me was the tons of chickensh*t under the cages and some of it would get on the eggs (that humans would eat) and the smell it would destroy your olfactory nerves. TG Calif passed a law against this.

[butchcliff]

07:00 AM on 05/18/2011

How long were these hen kept in these machines?
Seems cruel/counterproductive to make a point

[klbrz]

08:22 AM on 05/18/2011

Means to an end...

[Vending World]

01:41 AM on 05/26/2011

Thanks for sharing the info for me And i really like the chicken vending machine. Its really a good and best for the chicken.

[PhatP]

04:12 AM on 05/18/2011

What about not buying any eggs? Why not give people that option?

[mlaiuppa]

01:03 PM on 05/18/2011

Why not give people the option of owning their own chickens so they can get their own eggs? They'd control the living conditions and feed for their chickens. The chickens would have a better, healthier life and the eggs would be better for you as a result too. But most cities have codes against owning a chicken or two as a pet.

[Michael Forstadt]

07:30 PM on 05/18/2011

You are implying that people don't already have this option.

[Sioux Chef]

01:42 AM on 05/18/2011

Fresh eggs from a vending machine? Count me in. Thanks, NOAH.

[writeon1]

09:40 PM on 05/17/2011

Clever but in this economy people buy what they can afford. Some people are actually informed they just don't have the money to act on the information no matter how much clever propaganda is out there. http://newsy1.wordpress.com

[Springer5]

08:34 AM on 05/19/2011

So basically some people can't afford humanely produced eggs...fair enough...then don't buy them.

I can't afford a Rolls Royce, so guess what...I have to live without one and drive something else instead. What's the difference?

[canadian75]

07:16 PM on 05/17/2011

i really don't care where eggs come from. if I had the money I would be organic, but I don't and theres 6billion people on this planet we need to feed them somehow.

plus when the next H1N1 virus hits, free range chickens are most at risk, because they're out in the open and easily transfer the virus.

I do like this campaign though, its very creative.

[felixthecat]

11:36 PM on 05/17/2011

Very misinformed. most of the battery cage chickens are pumped with antibiotics because of the stress and filth from their inhumane treatment and conditions. there would be no hunger in this world if we all went vegan. it takes more land, water and resources for an animal based diet verses a plant based diet. a plant based diet saves animals from the torture, saves the planet and saves our health. win win win .

[shushuwu]

12:31 AM on 05/18/2011

I like your thinking and idea. However I am a carnivore, I will work on that. + I love Felix the cat, the wonderful wonderful cat!

[klbrz]

08:29 AM on 05/18/2011

You are incorrect about the resources needed to produce animal vs plant food or the health issues, but I don't feel like getting into all that right now. I will say that the reason we have hungry people in this world is because so many have limited access to food, their food production was interrupted by natural and/or man made disasters, or they can't afford to buy food. As it is right now, more than enough food is produced to feed everyone on the planet, but the world food distribution system generally requires that you must pay for your food. That is why we have hungry people. All of us going vegan this very minute will not change anything with regard to hunger.

[primaorangina]

10:49 PM on 05/18/2011

...feeding the 7 billion people on this earth would be a lot easier if every one was vegan...meat, dairy, and eggs are wasteful of resources

[SanJoaquinValleyGrower]

11:54 PM on 05/18/2011

no, it would not

a sustainable food system requires the use of animals, maybe not in the way most are used now, but it still needs them

[deweydecimal]

12:38 AM on 05/19/2011

Evidently you don't know how soy, corn, wheat & rice are cultivated.