A shocking new article from “Mother Jones” reveals the disgusting truth behind cattle feed: chicken poop.
You read that right: farmers are actually scraping all the feces, feathers, and uneaten chicken feed off the floors of chicken cages and broiler houses and feeding it to our nation’s cattle.
This isn’t just appallingly gross; it’s also quite dangerous. The fact is that chicken feed often contains beef protein, including ground-up meat and bone meal, which means we could essentially be turning cows into cannibals.
This could pose a major health risk, as it’s well known that cattle eating cattle is the leading cause of mad cow disease. In fact, the USDA banned the practice of feeding dead cows to live ones back in 1997 for this very reason.
In 2003, after the first U.S. cow was infected with mad cow disease, the FDA made plans to ban the feeding of “poultry litter” to cattle. But once Big Ag had its say, the FDA backed down and instead required chicken producers to leave bovine brains and spinal cords–the most infectious tissues–out of chicken feed, a move that has been widely criticized for not going far enough.
If all of this turns your stomach, perhaps it’s time to stop supporting the factory farming business altogether. Casting your consumer dollars in favor of healthy and humane vegan food choices is the best way to help end the industry’s dreadful practices. Visit ChooseVeg.com today and get started.