1. Chickens Bred to
Lay Eggs Are Completely Different From the Ones We Eat
Egg-laying hens are bred not only to produce an unnaturally
large quantity of eggs, but also to be small so that many can fit into one
cage. By contrast, “meat chickens, also known as “broilers, are bred to grow
so fast that their bones can’t even keep up, reaching market weight at just
around 48 days!
2. Chicken Meat
Harbors Dangerous Bacteria Like Salmonella
According to the USDA, around 25 percent of cut-up chicken
meat and about 50 percent of all ground chicken sold in stores is contaminated
with salmonella.
Each year, salmonella sickens more than 1 million people and
results in more hospitalizations and deaths than any other foodborne illness.
3. Chickens Grow So
Fast They Become Immobilized Under Their Own Weight
Chickens raised and killed for meat have been bred to grow
so quickly they frequently become immobilized under their own weight and endure
debilitating pain. They also suffer heart attacks, organ failure, and other
problems as a result of rapid growth.
4. Chicken Farming Is
Destroying the Planet
Environment America reports that Tyson, the largest poultry producer
in the world, is responsible for dumping more toxic pollution into our
waterways than companies like ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical.
5. Not a Single
Federal Law Protects Chickens
Unfortunately, no federal law protects animals during
their lives on factory farms. What’s more, the law that’s supposed to protect animals at the slaughterhouse, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, only
extends to cows and pigs, leaving chickens with virtually no protection from
abuse.
6. Chicken Meat Is
Full of Sh*t
In 2011, the USDA reported that 90 percent of defects discovered
in chicken carcasses at slaughter plants involved “visible fecal
contamination that was missed by company employees.”
7. Switching to
Chicken Hurts More Animals
Chickens comprise 95 percent of the animals raised and
killed for food in the U.S. and lead some of the most miserable lives of all
farmed animals. And because chickens are much smaller animals, many
more of them need to be killed to get the same poundage as other meats.
8. Chickens Are
Subjected to Ruthless Slaughter
At the slaughterhouse, chickens are violently shackled
upside down, painfully shocked with electricity, and cut open at the
throat—often while still conscious and able to feel pain.
9. Workers Are
Subjected to Terrible Conditions
Last year, an Oxfam
report revealed the terrible conditions to which factory farmers expose
employees. Workplace hazards include injuries, respiratory illness, and PTSD. Workers
are also at risk for infection by antibiotic-resistant
bacteria.
Just last week, it was revealed that on average, one Tyson employee
a month is injured by equipment and loses
a finger or limb.
10. Chickens Are
Incredibly Smart
Chickens pass down knowledge from generation to generation
and are able to recognize more than 100 individual faces, not only of their
fellow chickens, but also of humans. They’re even capable of understanding that recently hidden objects still exist. This is beyond the capability of a two-year-old
child.
—
Luckily, with amazing new products hitting store shelves all
the time, replacing chicken with healthy and humane plant-based alternatives
has never been easier!
Click
here for a list of mouthwatering chicken substitutes.