Posted by MCK on November 27, 2004, at 17:18:09
In reply to Re: --again-Larry Hoover » Gabbix2, posted by Larry Hoover on November 27, 2004, at 15:13:54
As the daughter of a poultry farmer, (and now a vegetarian) I'm quite surprised that you could make such an assertion, unless you've worked on a poultry farm very recently for a good long time!
Sadly, force feeding is used, not always, (with Turkeys it is usually) but you bet it is! When those chickens and turkeys need to be fattened up in a hurry for market there is no other way. Stomach injuries ocurr but more common are tears to the neck and throat.
My father doesn't like to do this, and neither do most of the "farmers" he knows, but in order to keep the price down and make a living he feels he has no other choice, drastic changes have happened in farming even in the last few years.
Even chicken catching as you referred to is not the same in most places. The chickens are usually just grabbed by their feet straight out of a crate and don't need to be caught, they didn't have anywhere to go!
Some have been forced in one place so long their feet have grown over the wire at the bottom of the cage--they "can't" eat out of a trough.Groups like P.E.T.A don't haveto exaggerate the abuses that happen in farming unfortunately, I wish they did. I've learned that one can always assume the worst is true. I'm not criticizing all farmers, I believe they are victims too, and many times it's the hired workers who through carelessness or cruelty cause much needless suffering.
You mentioned no matter how many Peta articles say so it's not true that poultry is force fed.
Well maybe you won't believe this farmers daughter either, but it doesn't change the unfortunate facts.
I'm not speaking for all farms or all farmers. I'm speaking about poultry factory farms,
which may at one time resembled a friendly family farm, but do so no more.
poster:MCK
thread:420601
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20041122/msgs/421005.html