By: William Neuman
Published: October 21, 2010
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/business/22chicken.html?ref=factory_farming
Summary:
This article explains a new way of killing chickens in factory farming. Chickens today are free of many things. They come cage-free, antibiotic-free, organic, and air-chilled. Two premium chicken producers are on their way to making the chickens stress-free. This new system uses carbon dioxide gas that slowly renders the chickens unconscious before they're hung by their feet to get their throats slit. This system would potentially help the chickens because they won't feel the stress of someone grabbing their legs and hanging them upside down while they are alive. This system is also more humane. Marketing this subject however, is a difficult thing to do. Many people don't even like to think about how the animal was killed so it's hard to get people on their side in support of this new system. They are trying to communicate this way of killing animals by calling it 'humanely slaughtered' or 'humanely handled.' Many important people in the agricultural business are on board with this idea, except that the gas technology is expensive. It would cost about $3 million just go convert their operations to the system. Marc Cooper, a senior scientific manager in the farm animals department of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in London said, "It's hard to sell humane killing as a concept."
Opinion:
As I read this article I was pretty happy that people all over are trying out a more humane way of killing. Killing chickens sounds horrible but if you think about it, our population isn't going to stop eating them any time soon. I think making a more humane way of killing chickens is a great idea. I agree with Marc Cooper in the fact that humane killing is a hard concept to sell. However, I think that with a lot of good marketing this idea will spread and start to become popular with chicken slaughtering. Personally I have always felt bad for the animals that get slaughtered for our use. This system seems like a great idea and I really hope the expense goes down some so many companies can use it.
Questions:
1) Do you think this system is a good idea?
2) What is a way to lower the expenses of the gas technology?
3) Are there any other ways that you can think of to make chicken slaughter more humane?
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteThe article Melissa picked was very interesting to me. It is enlightening to see that research is actually going into a more humane way of killing. No one likes to think of where the meat they are eating comes from, but most people like to eat meat products. I am always disgusted when I think of how the meat is brought to us, but despite this, I still eat poultry by putting the thought out of my mind. It is understandable to me that building support is difficult since many people avoid the topic. This is a great idea and should be put into action as soon as possible. Although it is expensive, as time goes on, the cost will most likely decrease. Once this happens, this system will be available for even more companies. Hopefully, this more humane way of killing will be supported and put into action.
Check out this article about inhumane methods in question after a salmonella infection.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/us/24eggs.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Opinion: This system may be an upgrade for the chicken, as this article states, yet in the end they are still getting their throats slit and losing their life. People may argue that the system will prevent the stress of getting killed, but how is what I'm asking. They're dying. Even if you were given a sedative to remove stress and pain, wouldn't you still be scared and freaking out when a blade was going across your throat and killing you. I think that this system may just be a waste of time with the fact that it is not a more humane way of killing as it is supposed to be. Killing is killing and no amount of sedative should be able to rob you of the feeling of losing your life. I know this system may be good to human eyes because, who cares right, it's just chickens. But, I'm just looking at it from the point of view from the chickens.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Question 3: I really can't think of another way that can make killing more humane. Like I said before killing is killing. This may be a good idea, to try and take some of the pain away, but in the end their heads are getting cut off.
I believe that using carbon dioxide poisoning to reduce shock for the chickens is better for the chickens but pointless, even harmful, for us. Do we use the carbon dioxide to get a higher quality in meat or to reduce the risk of salmonella? Niether, it holds no benefit for us other than the fact that we have a clean conscious knowing the chicken died a better death. I'm not saying that it's bad to have a clean conscious, but rather that it should not cost 3 million dollars. On top of that, three million dollars does not come easily, espescially with the economy these days. If anything, I think the government should think twice before enacting this plan.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: LIke I said, I think that this plan is way too expensive to give us any benefits. We would lose more than we would gain through this new method. It's not like we would recieve a better quality meat or reduce the risk of food poisoning. And just like Zach stated, either way, the chicken is going to die in the end so that three million dollars would actually go to waste.
I like how chicken farmers are now useing a humane way to kill the chickens now. Useing carbon dioxide to disorent the chickens before they are killed. At the same time i don't why they did this because it doen't effect anyone. I also don't now why changing the system would cost 3 million dollars. It seems like it would be easy to add somekind of gas chamber to the factory. I hope more companies start to do the same and be a little more humane.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Question 1:
I do think that the carbon dioxide thing was a good idea. If I was going to be hung upsidedown and killed I would not want to be conscious. I aslo think that more companies should do the same and convert to being a little more humane.