Corporate Factory Farm Effects
About 2 years ago I got chickens from a big factory farm here locally. They were giving them away, I touched on this in a previous post, I took about 1000 chickens and grew them up. They were given away because they tested positive for a worm that spreads through the flock. Long story short I lost a lot of chickens and the ones left are groomed for indoor chicken feeding. Their beaks were snipped so that they don't fight and hurt each other, a problem when confined to a single building for their entire lives.
I was ignorant to this practice until it was pointed out to me by a friend. He said their beaks were cut and they could not pick up small ticks and bugs. So, I let them grow out. Most have some kind of deformity but they have adapted and the once flat cut beaks are now starting to have a dull point There are those, though, that cant function with the deformities that are too out of control. I usually put them down and have soup or small side, since they are so skinny that it is not worth a full meal.
This girl has actually adapted with her beak the way it is to be able to dig with it after she scratches. It is actually quite amazing. She is also extremely fast, lol, it is a job to catch her. I believe that this method of factory farming has made these chickens very aggressive and hard to keep. They have attacked and killed a bunch of my original flock, and though I feel bad for them, they have to go.
This is a side effect of the factory farming, it is much like declawing a cat. By forcing the animal to adapt to our ways, so severely, they mutate and con not be let out to live a happy chicken life free ranging. I am not an animal extremist, I believe in having and slaughtering animals for food. I also believe that while those animals are alive, I am their steward. I am responsible for their happiness and their little lives. Balance. My animals are happy animals and when I do slaughter them, I know I had respect for them while they were alive. I also know they were able to be happy when they were alive. I, do, though, see the effects of animal disrespect and abuse of their lives with the ownership of these chickens.
Just another sad consequence of corporate factory farming.
My sister has some chickens in a coop in her yard in Australia. One of them killed two new ones that were put in with them. They are pretty cutthroat.
yes they are. But these girls are like bloods or crypts they gang up on the others, especially over food.
Lol yeh they are. My mum said the coop wasn't big enough but maybe they would have done it anyway. They are interesting animals.
lol its a love hate relationship!
I have had chickens from factories quite a lot over the years and have found them to be gentle quiet creatures - easy to tame and friendly. They have no idea how to free range, in fact for the first few weeks they just stand there not knowing what to do at all. They cut their beaks here to but never to the extent of the ones in your pictures.
Very awesome that they are gentle! Might be the breed or the specific farm. I am really glad you had a positive experience, that shows that there may be those farms out there that care a little about their birds.
Poor babies.
I have 11 hens right now. We have had chickens in town and now in the country. They are such a pleasure that everyone should enjoy.
Yes. I feel bad for my original flock. I think that they are experiencing PTSD lol. Its true though, they used to come right over to me and hang out wherever I was now they run from me and the Queens all flock at me pecking my feet and fighting each other... I hope they adjust to the new flock, and I don't have to butcher them all.
Do you have any roosters? They seem to keep the girls in line. :-)
lol Ya, of course, Need those roosters! Good morning alarms too!