The true cost of cheap chicken
In a tiny space a battery chicken has 40 days to live before it is slaughtered and sold for $5 in a supermarket. Full text.
Electric Prod and Organic Beef Production
Throughout the history of agriculture and in all facets of animal production, the welfare of farm animals has been impacted by a variety of economic, political, and social forces. Organic animal production is impacted by the same forces, but responds to them from within its own philosophical frame of reference. Concentration and centralization of the processing industry and increased societal awareness and concern about animal welfare issues have raised concerns about animal welfare during transportation and slaughter. In both organic and conventional agriculture, the accelerating rate of change affects all aspects of production and processing. Read more [.doc format 101k]
Poultry Production I'd sooner be a small bird in a hawk-filled wood than a caged chicken on a factory farm.
- Simon Barnes in How to be a Bad Birdwatcher