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At least one of the practices mentioned, de-beaking [0], is nowhere near out of the ordinary at factory hatcheries. One of the quoted lobbyists even makes the p

At least one of the practices mentioned, de-beaking [0], is nowhere near out of the ordinary at factory hatcheries. One of the quoted lobbyists even makes the point that some of the behavior recorded is the norm, not the exception: The videos may seem troubling to someone unfamiliar with farming, said Kelli Ludlum, the group’s director of Congressional relations, but they can be like seeing open-heart surgery for the first time. “They could be performing a perfect procedure, but you would consider it abhorrent that they were cutting a person open,” she said. While some of the abuses may be unusual, I suspect the truth is that they would prefer no one tape the regular day-to-day goings on at factory farms either. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debeaking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debeaking

kefka 14y ago
Regarding debeaking, it IS not removal of the whole beak. It is the technique of rounding off the beak. We've raised chickens before, starting from chicks/eggs. The chicks will peck at anything, including other chicks. We lost 2 chicks that way, because one had a bloodspot, and we don't know about the other one. Having rounded beaks (and the tools to do that) would have saved us 2 animals. I also saw on Facebook someone moaning about Cannulized cows and the "evil trauma" it must be. Let alone, it is a great way to monitor the herd (cows) along with providing rapid response to bad plants causing problems, like jimpson weed. If most people had to go through the process of raise animal; slaughter animal; clean carcass; package meat: Most people would be vegetarians. I've done it, and would do it again if I had to.
- spacemanaki 14y ago
  You're right, I should have used the word "trimming" since "debeaking" is a bit loaded. I didn't know that it was still necessary or recommended for raising chickens in smaller operations, thanks for enlightening me. I still think that most consumers of eggs (and meat, and milk) who have never seen a battery cage operation (or factory farm, CAFO, slaughterhouse, etc) would be surprised, if not horrified, and I suspect that this is the real motivation behind these laws and lobbying efforts.
  - kefka 14y ago
    I very much do agree: much of the current factory farm techniques are just plain disgusting. Many of the big egg-ufacturers calculate space per chick in cm^3. They cannot turn or pretty much move in any direction. General treatment is abhorrent. Feed is not a natural ground-peck but some nutrient paste pellets filled with antibiotics. Sanitation is whatever falls through the cage. What doesn't ends up burning the chickens' feet. But about my story: We bought 15 chickens. 8 of them were chicks, and 7 were eggs about to hatch. Baby chicks, especially in an incubator, are harsh little evil things. They will all peck at whatever is different. Out of 15, we lost 2, which does seem average for farmers. It's also why you use red lights on chicks too: so they can't see blood.

kefka 14y ago

Regarding debeaking, it IS not removal of the whole beak. It is the technique of rounding off the beak. We've raised chickens before, starting from chicks/eggs. The chicks will peck at anything, including other chicks. We lost 2 chicks that way, because one had a bloodspot, and we don't know about the other one. Having rounded beaks (and the tools to do that) would have saved us 2 animals. I also saw on Facebook someone moaning about Cannulized cows and the "evil trauma" it must be. Let alone, it is a great way to monitor the herd (cows) along with providing rapid response to bad plants causing problems, like jimpson weed. If most people had to go through the process of raise animal; slaughter animal; clean carcass; package meat: Most people would be vegetarians. I've done it, and would do it again if I had to.

spacemanaki 14y ago
You're right, I should have used the word "trimming" since "debeaking" is a bit loaded. I didn't know that it was still necessary or recommended for raising chickens in smaller operations, thanks for enlightening me. I still think that most consumers of eggs (and meat, and milk) who have never seen a battery cage operation (or factory farm, CAFO, slaughterhouse, etc) would be surprised, if not horrified, and I suspect that this is the real motivation behind these laws and lobbying efforts.
- kefka 14y ago
  I very much do agree: much of the current factory farm techniques are just plain disgusting. Many of the big egg-ufacturers calculate space per chick in cm^3. They cannot turn or pretty much move in any direction. General treatment is abhorrent. Feed is not a natural ground-peck but some nutrient paste pellets filled with antibiotics. Sanitation is whatever falls through the cage. What doesn't ends up burning the chickens' feet. But about my story: We bought 15 chickens. 8 of them were chicks, and 7 were eggs about to hatch. Baby chicks, especially in an incubator, are harsh little evil things. They will all peck at whatever is different. Out of 15, we lost 2, which does seem average for farmers. It's also why you use red lights on chicks too: so they can't see blood.