Ugly Death for Chickens

Say you have some chickens who have stopped laying eggs. What should you do? Ward Egg Ranch did the logical thing. They tossed their unproductive hens into the wood chipper. The wood chipper. But unlike the dead guy in Fargo, those poor chickens were shredded while still alive. If you've accidentally sliced your finger while chopping tomatoes or something, you know how much it smarts, so imagine the agonizing pain these animals felt as their feet or heads first met the wood chipper blades.

The Ward Egg Ranch was simply following a suggestion by Gregg Cutler, a veterinarian who serves on the board of, get this, the American Veterinary Medical Association's Animal WELFARE Committee. Cutler heartlessly suggested that using a wood chipper would be the best solution to dealing with sick hens. But whether sick or unproductive, not even chickens deserve such dastardly treatment. Cutler was recently paid over $4000 for services rendered to the No on Proposition 2 campaign.

By now you may have heard about Proposition 2, the California Ballot Measure that will stop the inhumane treatment of farm animals. It will ban some of the most cruel practices of factory farming; veal crates, battery cages and pig gestation crates. Prop 2 means no more stuffing 8 or more hens together in a small cage for the rest of their born days, it means not taking a baby calf from his mother, wrapping a heavy chain around his neck and sticking him into an 18" wide box for three months before slaughter, and it means allowing enough space for mother pigs to simply turn around and move a bit as God intended.

Proposition 2 simply asks people to recognize that animals are not just parts we buy in the meat section of our grocery stores, but that the sum of their parts equal a sentient, feeling, noble and harmless creature that stands before us hoping for a modicum of mercy. Let these beings stretch, walk around, strut their stuff and enjoy being alive for just a while. No more confinement and for God's sake, no more wood chippers.

On November 4th, please vote YES on Prop 2.

Comments

[GoThink]

Time and again business consultants and animal behaviorists have proven that treating animals humanely actually improves profit, improves quality and output. The problem lies in the antiquated, short-sighted thinking of people in charge of factory farms.

[psycheskinner]

" Gregg Cutler, a veterinarian who serves on the board of, get this, the American Veterinary Medical Association's Animal WELFARE Committee"

Actually not the case. I believe he did some years ago.

I am also not sure who told who to do what ever escaped the realms of hearsay.

[Jonahson]

I don't eat eggs but I do not discourage others not to do so. My reason is personal. I do field repairs on farm machines, one day I attended a breakdown call in a chicken egg farm after attending to the problem the farm supevisor took me to a tour of the farm. I had to take a bath and change my clothes before going into the farm proper.
I saw chickens placed tightly in cages, just to lay eggs two a day. When they are too old to lay the chickens will be slaughtered for food. These chickens were caged so long that when you free them outside they just stay put. Then a thought came to me. What if humans were subjected to such conditions, women placed into tight cages and once they reach puberty their monthly eggs are harvested after which when they have reached menopause they are taken out to be slaughtered. How can we be so cruel?

[avraamjack]

yay

[MDfromMD]

Why don't we ask Ms. Palin since she is Pro-life - what would she do?

Sarcasm on my part of course.

[MaciasJ]

Is this an area where California should really lead the way? I definitely believe the humane treatment of animals, but maybe this is something we should pursue at the federal level. Increased regulations mean increased costs, and that will drive dairies, chicken farms, and other business out of California. Instead of chickens being tossed in the wood-chipper in California, they will be tossed in a wood-chipper in Arizona, Nevada, or Oregon. Does that make a difference to them? It seems that the California economy would be the only loser with this measure.

Agriculture is BIG BUSINESS in California, although many in SF and LA don't realize it. California stands to lose more than a little with increased regulations.

[Cheri Shankar - Huffpost Blogger]

A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. We have to start somewhere and I can't think of a better place than California where we can choose to do the right thing over what is profitable. Let's choose compassion over the almighty dollar!

[vorpalmusic]

"Let's choose compassion over the almighty dollar!"

It's not a matter of us choosing compassion over the dollar--this is somebody else's dollars we're talking about. And however many people work for them.

I support proposition 2 also (not that it matters as I don't live in California), but Macias raises a pretty compelling argument, to which you haven't responded: The only result of proposition 2 passing will be to move the inhumane practices across the nearest border, much like big corporations hide their assets in foreign banks to escapte the few regulations our government bothers to lay on them.

On the other hand, since this is highly unlikely to become a national issue, at least California could set a precedent, like the states here and there that have been defiantly standing up to allow gay marriage. But we really should start talking about how to carry this further than California. The only way things are really going to change nationally is when enough people are convinced to stop buying their meat from companies like this.

[SweetJudith]

I live in Calif, I'm already there. Been handing out leaflets and emailing! Thank you for your posts, I,m such a fan! The Ag industry are spending millions against freeing the animals! And of course so much of that money is coming from Iowa! Need I say more?
Abolish Animal Slavery!