R.I.P. Broilers
11th October 2010
In June this year AFA rescued four broiler chickens from an intensive chicken meat farm in South Auckland. Sadly this weekend we received word that two of the young broilers have died. Broiler chickens have been selectively bred to grow rapidly and go from birth to slaughter weight within just five or six weeks. This fast growth put an immense amount of pressure on the chicks skeleton and organs. When we rescued the four chicks (all boys) in June they were about five weeks old and just days from being sent to slaughter. They were placed in a loving home with someone experienced in looking after broiler chickens but with these chickens there is little you can do to slow their growth; especially boys who grow faster than the girls. At only about three months of age one of the boys was walking up a very gentle incline when suffered a heart attack, his weight too much for his heart. The other boy died from a fatal injury to his young skeleton which could not cope with the fast rate of growth. The remaining two broilers are in good health at the moment and are happy spending their days pecking amongst the leaves and laying about with some ex-battery hens. We have never known any broiler chickens to make it past two years old and because of this we are often asked why we bother to rescue them if they will not have a long life. If you ever get to see them playing, pecking and sun bathing after having seen the horror of a broiler chicken farm you would see exactly why we rescue them. If you watch footage or read stories of poultry slaughterhouses you will see exactly why we want to spare them this fate. The short lives they enjoy out of the factory farm and away from the slaughterhouse are full of pleasures they deserve to experience up until they take their last breaths. For more information about broiler chickens click here. |
 The farm the chicks came from on the night of their rescue.
 One of the boys on his first day of freedom; he is just five weeks old.
 One of the two remaining boys this weekend, 9th October 2010.
|
