Animal Rights Groups Enter The Backyard Chicken-Keeping Fray

[The Straight Story]

Animal Rights Groups Enter The Backyard Chicken-Keeping Fray

There is a new campaign by animal rights activists against backyard chicken-keeping.

These folks are well-intentioned, and their work is valuable. I was a vegetarian for twenty years primarily for ethical reasons and only went back to meat-eating when I discovered local, pasture-raised meat from animals that live as animals should. I have no ethical objection to the eating of meat, but I don’t want to eat an animal that has lived a life of misery ending only in a horrific death in a factory-farm slaughterhouse. But animal rights activists tend to believe meat-eating itself is unethical and therefore have an axe to grind when it comes to backyard chicken-keeping. They don't believe animals can ethically be used for food production, even when the animal isn't killed to produce the food. They advocate a vegan diet -- no eggs, no milk or cheese, no honey -- and their opinions and arguments are profoundly colored by this. However, some of their concerns are valid, and those considering keeping chickens should be aware of these concerns.

* There are no laws controlling methods by which breeding hens and roosters are kept, which means some hatcheries could be keeping them in small, crowded cages with no access to pasture. Be sure to investigate where your chicks or fertile eggs for hatching come from; don't buy from any hatchery who mistreats breeding animals. Buy from a those who raise birds on pasture, just like you want to raise yours. Your best bet may be a small producer of heritage breeds, preferably someone local whom you can visit to see how the birds are treated.

* Male chicks are not in demand for backyard flocks and may be mistreated because of their relative lack of value to a hatchery focussed on producing laying hens. Again, choose your hatchery carefully and don't buy from one that mistreats its male chicks.

* Shipping day-old chicks is not ideal. I don't know what kind of stress chicks experience in shipping, but while most chicks survive, it's probably a safe bet that no baby animal should ideally spend its first few days in a shipping box. Again your best bet may be a small local producer of heritage breeds.

...

These animal rights groups are asking supporters to actively oppose backyard chicken-keeping by attending meetings of their local city council, writing letters to the editor and to their government representatives, and talking to friends and neighbors. If you are waging a chicken-keeping fight in your town, be aware of this potential source of opposition.

http://fwix.com/share/25_6ec1f2cf31

[hayu_lol]

1. How about we just...

eat the animal rights activists and forget the chicken altogether?

Are these zealots going to raid backyards now?

[The Straight Story]

2. I keep a few animal rights folks in a cage out back myself

Good with some hickory wood on a grill, a little tough though unless you smoke em for about 12 hours...

[MineralMan]

5. Just don't let them mate. The eggs are inedible.

[WonderGrunion]

28. That's totally not true. In the words of Mike Meyer's "Fat Bastard"...

Baby! The other OTHER white meat!! Get in ma BELLY!!!

[tosh]

11. They also make a pretty mean gumbo. nt.

[tabatha]

6. Lol

How on earth can backyard chickens be a problem?
They are better than factory farms.

[TheMightyFavog]

20. A lot of those laws were passed to deter raising roosters for cockfighting,

Law of unintended consequences.

[tonysam]

10. +1,000,000

Such nuttery doesn't belong in liberal or progressive politics any more than the Moonies belong there.

[Ignis]

26. Dumb as a bag of hammers.

:dunce:

[Bonn1997]

3. There are factual inaccuracies about animal rights activists in this article

a) I haven't met any animal rights activists who oppose eating meat when it's necessary for survival. There is no unconditional rejection of meat eating, even though the article suggests there is;
b) The article assumes homogeneity in the animal rights community when in fact there is a huge range of views. This is no different from assuming all Democrats think the same.

[tonysam]

9. Yeah, they do oppose eating meat and consuming ALL animal products.

That's what differentiates "animal rights" from "animal welfare" groups like ASPCA and local humane societies. They are a freaking cult.

They also oppose pet ownership, though they will lie about it, and all "uses" of animals for sport or entertainment because it is "slavery" to these crazies.

If the public knew what these extremists were about, they would NEVER give a dime to these groups like PETA and HSUS, both of which oppose animal domestication as an "ethical" issue.

[Bonn1997]

23. Which major animal rights philosophers oppose eating meat when necessary for survival?

[Ignis]

30. The answer, of course, is none.

But knowing that would require having read a book, so ... well, hopes aren't high.

[Ignis]

24. Why must you continue to lie about PETA?

You traipse from thread to thread, sowing this same bullshit over and over and over again. Are you allergic to facts? Do you not understand the difference between facts and your own opinion? You've been challenged numerous times to support any of these wild assertions you make, and you refuse to do so.

I don't know what drives you on this smear campaign--whether you're simply some sort of anti-PETA zealot or you're in Rick Berman's pocket--but PETA is not an abolitionist organization. Neither is HSUS.

Look, I don't like Republicans, but you don't see me trying to sell the idea that Mandatory Pedophilia is one of the planks of their party platform.

:banghead:

[MineralMan]

43. PETA isn't oppose to eating meat?

Do you have a link where PETA says that? Please...

[yewberry]

45. I doubt that's what the poster meant. nt

[Ignis]

58. The poster thanks you for your sanity.

Because the poster's posts are often as clear as mud. :D

Signed, The Poster formerly known as Ignis

[yewberry]

59. If I were sane I wouldn't have looked at this OP to begin with.

I cannot believe DUers are opposing this organization.

[Ignis]

52. PETA is not an abolitionist organization.

Nor does PETA oppose humans having pets--despite their use of the somewhat twee "animal companion" label.

[I Have A Dream]

13. I agree. nt

[asjr]

4. I am not aware of anyone in my area

keeping back yard chickens just for the heck of it, but back in WW2 my grandmother and grandfather had a victory garden and fed themselves with the produce fresh and that they canned. She also had chickens in her backyard--rural area to be sure, that produced eggs for them daily. She kept her chickens warmer than they themselves were in the winter. They did the same thing during the depression and kept alive that way. Back then neighbors--no matter how far apart they were--shared what they had with each other. I remember because I was there. I find no fault with anyone who cares about aminals be it chickens or dogs and cats. I just can't get really upset about it.

[Arugula Latte]

7. Backyard chicken keeping is are very popular here in Portland.

I know several people who have chickens within city limits. They are concerned with the horrible conditions that commercial chickens are kept in to produce most eggs, and they want locally grown, healthy food. They are allowed to keep three hens, no roosters. Their chickens live a much better life than factory raised chickens.

[tonysam]

8. First chickens, then dogs and cats.

I effing HATE these groups, which don't care a flying fig about animals.

[kestrel91316]

17. Exactly. PETA's founder, Ingrid Newkirk, has said publically that she

eventually wants to achieve an end to ALL "animal exploitation" including pet ownership, and wants to see all domestic animals allowed to die out and become extinct.

No, I don't have a link, but I read the interview in a reputable journalistic source online about 8 years ago.

[Ignis]

25. Hitching your wagon to a crazy star, eh?

Well, good luck with that. You've found a real winner.

Newkirk is not PETA. Newkirk's own views are not PETA policy.

[yewberry]

42. What exactly do you "effing hate" about Farm Sanctuary?

Please share.

And seriously, lumping all animal advocacy groups together makes no sense. It would be like me assuming all meat eaters think the same way as the Weston Price Foundation, Ted Nugent, and you do.

[jwirr]

12. We have chickens we keep in a pen because we also have a fox

who lives nearby. I do not mind them wanting laws since I also do not want more factory farming in the city limits. But if they go so far as to tell me I have to be a vegetarian then I will object.

[Ernesto]

14. How come my "good girls" always come back

to their yard & roost in their house at night-fall after I let them graze?
Me thinks life is pretty OK for them!

[jwirr]

15. Ours do to but we lost 4 of them to that damn fox and the pen is not small.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

18. Yes, but see, the fox eating the chickens is perfectly OK.

It's only an abomination when you eat them.

:crazy:

[Ernesto]

21. So ,,,, who eats them?

[Ernesto]

22. I have some possums & coyotes...

So I always close the gate to their yard @ night-fall.

[Th1onein]

16. Oh shit. My sister keeps chickens in her backyard.

In fact, she hoards chickens. Maybe these animal rights groups will go after her? Hmmm.

[Ignis]

27. Yes, we're parachuting in now! Look out!

Who left the Crazy tap on at DU? :shrug:

[DBoon]

19. what next?

abolish koi ponds?

[Ignis]

29. I realize that DUers love a good dog-pile, but ...

The vast majority of AR activists with whom I have spoken greatly favor people keeping, butchering, and eating their own backyard livestock to driving to the supermarket and buying a chunk of flesh wrapped in plastic and styrofoam.

But don't let facts get in the way of a good anti-animal-rights tirade. Show us all how very progressive you are, DUers!

[upi402]

31. I wish this was commonly known

All I ever read is the outlandish stuff. The bad apples will spoil the barrel, and ya gotta choose your battles carefully.

[Ignis]

33. Well, DUers don't get to smear entire groups often...

So when someone mentions animal rights, it brings all the crazies out of the woodwork. I've seen DUers make sweeping statements about all animal rights activists that would turn your hair white if they said it about any other group of people.

But bigotry against vegetarians and/or animal rights activists is one of the few non-bannable avenues of permitted bigotry at DU, so the bullies, bigots, and trolls get to have a field day on these threads without fear of reprisal.

Now that's progressive! :patriot:

[wolfgangmo]

35. Montion alternative medicine if you want to see a dog pile. Just sayin'.

.

[Ignis]

41. Oh, I get it from both sides on that one.

I'm too "woo" because I'm not willing to categorically deny the benefits of herbalism in a holistic approach to medicine.

I'm too "mean" because I'm not willing to admit that homeopathy has been shown to be effective (significantly above the placebo rate) in clinical trials.

But that's certainly an example of another area where people are too quick to move from "there's insufficient evidence to support your claim" to "all of you people are stupid and should die before you can reproduce."

[petronius]

61. If we're lucky someday, a really fat AR person will get on an airplane

and be photographed. The resulting thread would be stupendous!

[The Straight Story]

32. If you have links to such, post em as ops here (nt)

[Ignis]

34. To such what? (nt)

[The Straight Story]

36. This:

"The vast majority of AR activists with whom I have spoken greatly favor people keeping, butchering, and eating their own backyard livestock to driving to the supermarket and buying a chunk of flesh wrapped in plastic and styrofoam."

Maybe folks don't hear enough positive about certain groups (animal right's activists, christians, etc and so on) because not enough is spread around about them.

I DO think though that the group(s) mentioned in my OP have a point - I am all for keeping backyard chickens and having such legal, but I think we can also use some common sense regulations on it all (despite what many might tell you here, I am not a libertarian just because I think bars should have a choice whether to be smoking or non-smoking).

On the other hand, like any group there are some that seem a tad oppressive, and calling them out is a good thing.

I call out fundie christians from time to time here (and I consider myself Christian), but I hope in doing so people are smart enough to not label a whole movement/religion/group based on some within it.

[Ignis]

39. You make a good point.

I think that most (not all) AR-friendly/vegetarian DUers have started to limit themselves to posting positive stories in the Veg/AR forum.

:hide:

I know how to say "that new PETA ad is sexist/stupid/offensive" without also saying "vegetarians suck" or "animal rights activists are Nazis." I tip my hat to you, because I've seen that you do, too.

---

ETA: I meant no criticism of your OP by my comment, but rather of the replies to it. I didn't make that clear, and I should have.

[yewberry]

37. Criminy, sometimes DU is asshole central.

Can some of you folks even read, or have you blinded yourselves with the kneejerk right to the orbits?

The big evil "animal rights" group we're talking about is Farm Sanctuary. You know, Farm Sanctuary, the group that takes in neglected and abused farm animals? And y'all are wondering why they might have an interest in the lives of chickens?

From their big, bad campaign that many here seem to believe is designed to snatch the meat right out of your mouths:

Shelters and sanctuaries have seen a dramatic increase in the number of chickens, particularly roosters, dumped on their doorsteps, and the situation is only getting worse. Hens are often deemed worthless when their egg production begins to wane, and roosters are generally unwanted because they do not produce eggs and are rarely legal to keep in urban or suburban settings. Nevertheless, unmarketable male chicks are often included as living “packing material” in shipments of female chicks ordered from hatcheries, and people who buy hens from these facilities almost always end up with roosters they did not want, making for disastrous consequences. These hatcheries also employ cruel factory farm methods, such as overcrowding and de-beaking, and ship day-old chicks by mail — a process that subjects the birds to temperature extremes, injury and sustenance deprivation. Virtually all “backyard chickens” come from hatcheries, so buyers are almost always supporting the inhumane practices of this industry.

How in the world do you people read this and find fault?

Peta has nothing to with it. Ingrid Newkirk and imaginary abolitionism have nothing to do with it. Liars who claim that AR people are somehow trying to make eating meat illegal have nothing to do with it.

Jesus, people. If you're opposed to Farm Sanctuary, you're too far gone already.

[hedgehog]

38. We always end up with an extra rooster or two when we order day old chicks.

There is no need to abandon them

1. Keep them around and enjoy the crowing.

2. Eat them.


When my hens have hatched a brood, they spend a day or so tucked under mamma before coming out to eat. It's not really all that different from being in a dark box cuddled up against other chicks. Shipping day old chicks isn't a perfect process, but it's worked out well for the chickens and chicken keepers for many years.

[Ignis]

40. Facts? RTFA? Specificity? ...Nah!!

And when did it become cool to hate on HSUS? HSU-freakin'_S! :crazy:

[flvegan]

47. Shame on you for pointing that out!!

People will realize they've wasted one of their daily kneejerks now. It's just hateful.

[WeDidIt]

44. Sometimes I think PETA's whole purpose in being is just to piss people off

The more I hear from PETA, the more likely I am to oppose anything they support with every fiber of my being.

[yewberry]

46. Again, this has nothing to do with peta.

This is Farm Sanctuary. What is it that they're doing that makes you want to oppose animal advocacy with every fiber of your being?

[WeDidIt]

48. I support backyard chicken keeping 100%

and will oppose the detractors from this practice with every fiber of my being.

[yewberry]

49. Please read Farm Sanctuary's position.

They are making reasonable suggestions.

[WeDidIt]

50. No thanks

They oppose backyard chicken keeping. No need to read any further.

[yewberry]

51. Riiiiight, so you don't know or care what they support or oppose.

That's a great position.

You don't know what you're talking about, in other words.

[WeDidIt]

53. IT says right there in the title.

They oppose backyard chicken keeping.

That's all I need to know in order to oppose them with every fiber of my being.

[yewberry]

56. What? No, it doesn't.

Are you even reading the same thing I am?

[Ignis]

54. They do?

Where did you read that?

[alittlelark]

55. The 'male chick' issue makes sense (for PETA).

I see male pullets advertised on craigslist often. Male chickens are butchered. It's what it is.

In regards to backyard poultry - they are being silly. I know of 4 families w/ egg layers in their backyards very close to us. One of them spent $165 curing an ailing chicken who had been tormented by her peers.

All but 1 of the families gave the chickens full run of their fenced yards. One family that lost 2 chickens to local dogs gave them full family pet burial honors.


Bitching about backyard chickens seems a bit silly to me.

[yewberry]

57. Again, this has nothing to do with peta. nt

[alittlelark]

60. Good point - I had ASSUMED that the OP was PETA related

oops.