Chicken Farming Woes

[ElisabethWhispers]

A few decades ago, I dated a guy (VERY briefly) who did state inspections at chicken farms. In a way, it made dating difficult because he refused to eat chicken and would tell me stories of why.

I've also gotten stuck driving distances behind chicken trucks and I can tell you, it's fairly disgusting.

So the most recent episode of the John Oliver (HBO) show featured a story about some of the politics of chicken farming and it was also very disturbing.

There are some real issues with the chicken farming companies in the US.

Did anyone else see it?

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by ElisabethWhispers

There are some real issues with the chicken farming companies in the US.

I like chicken. I've been on privately owned chicken raising operations. I "cleaned" and "processed" fish, poultry, beef, pork, and wild game of various species. It should not deter you any more than eating vegetables and fruit when you are aware that shit is used to fertilize it.

Do you suck crawfish heads? Eat sausage? Menudo? Boiled cow's sinus linings?

[Yssup Rider]

You're quite the "animal lover," aren't you, LLIdiot.

Do you eat frog's legs? Chicken fingers? Head cheese? Mountain oysters?

Sounds like there's nothing you won't put in your mouth!

LMAO!

BTW -- Pamela Anderson (you remember her, don't you LLIDiot, from your days in the closet?) vigorously campaigned against the inhumane and unhealthy practices of the chicken industry.

[Jackie S]

Over 23,000,000 chickens are killed daily in the US alone.

The logistics in killing and processing that many is almost mind boggling.

It can't be pretty.

But it sure is good eating.

[Yssup Rider]

Originally Posted by Jackie S

Over 23,000,000 chickens are killed daily in the US alone.

The logistics in killing and processing that many is almost mind boggling.

It can't be pretty.

But it sure is good eating.

True dat! I eat a lot of chicken. Just not their dicks!

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

I eat a lot of chicken. Just not their dicks!

I didn't know chickens had dicks. All these years when you were sucking on clits, you thought there were dicks? There really isn't a Santa Claus, YouRong!

After map reading I would brush up on anatomy of farm yard animals.

Besides sheep, of course, with whom I'm sure you are intimately acquainted.

[Guest032516]

Originally Posted by ElisabethWhispers

A few decades ago, I dated a guy (VERY briefly) who did state inspections at chicken farms. In a way, it made dating difficult because he refused to eat chicken and would tell me stories of why.

I've also gotten stuck driving distances behind chicken trucks and I can tell you, it's fairly disgusting.

So the most recent episode of the John Oliver (HBO) show featured a story about some of the politics of chicken farming and it was also very disturbing.

There are some real issues with the chicken farming companies in the US.

Did anyone else see it?

The episode made my blood boil.

There was a previous show (maybe on Oliver) about the cruel practices of chicken farming - not enough room to stand, no sunlight, steroids, enormous breasts that makes them unable to walk.

This episode, though, was about the abusive practices of the four major poultry sellers and how they treat the farmers who raise their chickens.

I don't know how the system came about, but the sellers (Tyson, etc.) provides the baby chicks by the 100s of thousands to the farmers and basically forces them to run the farms a certain way (i.e., no sunshine, no room to walk, etc.) and forces them to buy whatever new equipment the seller deems necessary. Of course, the farmer has to borrow to buy the equipment, but doesn't get any more money from the chicken sellers.

Then, the big sellers rate the farmers against each other. Ones who produce the biggest chickens the quickest get bigger bonuses, the ones who produce smaller chickens actually get negative bonuses. How the fuck does that happen?

The farmers are on the edge of bankruptcy and some have committed suicide because that got bad grades from the big poultry companies.

The callousness of the representatives of the poultry companies was appalling.

We are buying chickens raised by the least ethical methods possible.

This is an industry that is ripe for regulation. Congress should break up the big poultry companies and/or outlaw most of these practices.

Eliminate the sheds and mandate a certain number of square feet per bird. Put the farmers in charge of raising the birds themselves right from eggs. The big poultry companies should only buy the output of the farmers, not mandate the inputs. And prices should be FIXED in advance, not subject to some grading system worked out after the fact by the agribusinesses.

If we pay more for chicken and eat less of it, so be it.

We don't need McNuggets that badly.

I

[shanm]

^that is just unadulterated capitalism at work. Don't ever underestimate the lengths we'll go to just to make a profit.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by ExNYer

We don't need McNuggets that badly.

We need Popeyes.

[i'va biggen]

Originally Posted by LexusLover

We need Popeyes.

You have pop eyes .

[gnadfly]

A decade or so I did chicken ranch inspections, until black Tuesday shut them down. No, I didn't wear an all-white suit.

[Yssup Rider]

Now THERE was a silly old fuck...

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by gnadfly

No, I didn't wear an all-white suit.

Did you wear maroon so you would blend?

[ElisabethWhispers]

Originally Posted by ExNYer

The episode made my blood boil.

There was a previous show (maybe on Oliver) about the cruel practices of chicken farming - not enough room to stand, no sunlight, steroids, enormous breasts that makes them unable to walk.

This episode, though, was about the abusive practices of the four major poultry sellers and how they treat the farmers who raise their chickens.

I don't know how the system came about, but the sellers (Tyson, etc.) provides the baby chicks by the 100s of thousands to the farmers and basically forces them to run the farms a certain way (i.e., no sunshine, no room to walk, etc.) and forces them to buy whatever new equipment the seller deems necessary. Of course, the farmer has to borrow to buy the equipment, but doesn't get any more money from the chicken sellers.

Then, the big sellers rate the farmers against each other. Ones who produce the biggest chickens the quickest get bigger bonuses, the ones who produce smaller chickens actually get negative bonuses. How the fuck does that happen?

The farmers are on the edge of bankruptcy and some have committed suicide because that got bad grades from the big poultry companies.

The callousness of the representatives of the poultry companies was appalling.

We are buying chickens raised by the least ethical methods possible.

This is an industry that is ripe for regulation. Congress should break up the big poultry companies and/or outlaw most of these practices.

Eliminate the sheds and mandate a certain number of square feet per bird. Put the farmers in charge of raising the birds themselves right from eggs. The big poultry companies should only buy the output of the farmers, not mandate the inputs. And prices should be FIXED in advance, not subject to some grading system worked out after the fact by the agribusinesses.

If we pay more for chicken and eat less of it, so be it.

We don't need McNuggets that badly.

Oh, it was awful and I thought this would be a perfect discussion for the political section.

I watch a lot of documentaries and one was about farming free range chickens. It seems as if the profit margin is much better doing that.

However, from my understanding from the show, plus what I read above, is that these chicken farmers get stuck in a vicious cycle. And it's sincerely pathetically unfair to these hardworking farmers.

Plus, I would imagine that it's filthy beyond measure.

You're especially right about one thing ... we certainly don't need anymore chicken nuggets anything.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by ElisabethWhispers

.....these chicken farmers get stuck in a vicious cycle. And it's sincerely pathetically unfair to these hardworking farmers.

Plus, I would imagine that it's filthy beyond measure.

I'm familiar with an operation for a national brand chicken processing company, and it has turned out well for that friend of mine. The processing company financed the land, their house, and the chicken raising facilities. The company furnishes the feed, the baby chicks, and picking up the chickens ready for processing. The company regularly inspects and tests the facilities for disease and cleanliness. Their loan is serviced from the purchase of the chickens they raise.

They have improved their farm with a stock tank and raise beef and goats on the place. They have also increased the size of their farm. For people of limited education and family support they have done well for themselves and their children, who have had the pleasure of growing up in the country on a farm. On my visits there I did not detect the stench and unsightliness suggested. It is a clean operation and well run, by the company specs.