ARC (Awakening Respect and Compassion for all Sentient Beings) 

Broiler Chickens


“The average day for a broiler chicken essentially consists of sitting around in pain, in one spot in a warehouse, too deformed to move.”


 -Matt Prescott,

 Senior director of food and agriculture for the Humane Society of the United States.
Photo Credit: Jo-Anne McArthur/ We Animals
  • Nine out of 10 billion land animals killed in the country every year are chickens (broilers)

  • To keep up with Americans’ demand for their meat, broiler chickens are selectively bred and genetically altered to produce bigger thighs and breasts, the parts most in demand.

  • They reach market weight of three and a half pounds in seven weeks. 

  • Their hearts, lungs and legs often give out before they’re 2 months old, leaving many lame or lifeless on the warehouse floor.

  • Their beaks and toes are severed without anesthesia, and the broiler houses are usually kept darkened at all hours to prevent fighting among the birds.


No Legal Protections


All birds—egg-laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and others—are excluded from all federal animal protection laws, including the Humane Slaughter Act.


After being trucked to the slaughterhouse, standard practice includes:


  • Shackling (upside down, terrifying, broken fragile bones)
  • Electrocution bath (to paralyze them)
  • Slitting their throats.
  • Many miss the electrocution step because they lift their heads in distress—The USDA estimates millions of birds are therefore fully conscious when killed. 
 

"Chickens are just like the animals we share our homes with, dogs and cats. Even though they may all look very similar, each one has a distinct and unique personality. They are surprisingly intelligent, friendly and sociable if they are treated kindly. There is no biological reason that we should treat them with any less consideration than we would other animals.” 

—DR. SARA SHIELDS, HUMANE SOCIETY 
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