Selective Breeding Causes Chicken Cruelty
Chicken is a staple part of many people’s diets around the
world, and demand for this has only grown as countries
become more developed and the appetite for meat has grown.
In 2019, it took
Farming practices have sought to keep up with this demand
an average
and selective breeding appeared to provide the solution.
chicken just 47
Choosing chickens with desirable traits - rapid growth, high days to reach
muscle mass, ability to lay large eggs - and then breeding 6.32lbs, when it
them together over generations to produce offspring with was then
these traits has resulted in rapid change to chicken bodies.
slaughtered.
Not only has the length of chicken lives been shortened, the
quality of it has been significantly reduce (“House of Commons
- Education and Skills - Third Report”) (“House of Commons -
Education and Skills - Third Report”) (“Cambridge International
AS & A Level subjects”) (“House of Commons - Education and
Skills - Third Report”) (“Cambridge International AS & A Level
subjects”)
d too. Chickens today grow over 300% faster than they did in
the 1960s, resulting in overgrown bodies with massive breasts,
to the extent that some chickens cannot support their own
weight after a few weeks.
Warehouse chickens often live out their lives in dimly lit,
overcrowded warehouses, unable to move and encouraged to
continuously eat by the constant light.
In 1925, it took an average chicken 112 days to reach
2.5lbs, when it was then slaughtered.
Even when these fast-growing chickens are given access to
higher welfare standards, the rate of their growth has been
shown to cause significant health problems. The birds’
skeletons and organs are unable to keep up with the growth of
the body, causing shortness of breath, lack of stamina, inability
to walk or even stand in some cases, and even heart failure.
SOURCES & CREDIT:
National Chicken Council
ASPCA
PHOTO:
Artem Beliaikin
Works Cited
“Cambridge International AS & A Level subjects.” Cambridge
“Cambridge International AS & A Level subjects.” Cambridge
International,
International,
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-a
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-a
nd-qualifications/cambridge-advanced/cambridge-inte
nd-qualifications/cambridge-advanced/cambridge-inte
rnational-as-and-a-levels/subjects/#. Accessed 15
rnational-as-and-a-levels/subjects/#. Accessed 15
March 2024.
March 2024.
“House of Commons - Education and Skills - Third Report.”
Carlton, Genevieve. “Why Was the AP Program Created? A
Parliament (publications), Parliamentary,
History of AP Exams and Classes.” BestColleges.com,
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmsel
https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/history-ap-exams-c
ect/cmeduski/153/15304.htm. Accessed 14 March 2024.
lasses/. Accessed 15 March 2024.
“House of Commons - Education and Skills - Third Report.”
Parliament (publications), Parliamentary,
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmsel
Works Cited
ect/cmeduski/153/15304.htm. Accessed 14 March 2024.
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmsel
Works Cited
ect/cmeduski/153/15304.htm. Accessed 14 March 2024.
“AP Program Results: Class of 2022 – Reports | College Board.”
College Board Report,
https://reports.collegeboard.org/ap-program-results/cl
ass-of-2022. Accessed 15 March 2024.
“Cambridge International AS & A Level subjects.” Cambridge
International,
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-a
nd-qualifications/cambridge-advanced/cambridge-inte
rnational-as-and-a-levels/subjects/#. Accessed 15
March 2024.
Carlton, Genevieve. “Why Was the AP Program Created? A
History of AP Exams and Classes.” BestColleges.com,
https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/history-ap-exams-c
lasses/. Accessed 15 March 2024.
“House of Commons - Education and Skills - Third Report.”
Parliament (publications), Parliamentary,
Works Cited
“AP Program Results: Class of 2022 – Reports | College Board.”
College Board Report,
https://reports.collegeboard.org/ap-program-results/class-o
f-2022. Accessed 15 March 2024.
“Cambridge International AS & A Level subjects.” Cambridge
International,
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-q
ualifications/cambridge-advanced/cambridge-international-
as-and-a-levels/subjects/#. Accessed 15 March 2024.
Carlton, Genevieve. “Why Was the AP Program Created? A
History of AP Exams and Classes.” BestColleges.com,
https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/history-ap-exams-class
es/. Accessed 15 March 2024.
“House of Commons - Education and Skills - Third Report.”
Parliament (publications), Parliamentary,
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/c
meduski/153/15304.htm. Accessed 14 March 2024.
