Before I divulge this reason, there are a few things I must first make quite clear.
1. For the greater part of my remembered life, I have suffered a general and debilitating fear of birds. My condition is far too complicated to fully explain at this particular juncture, but I feel that you, my readers, really ought to be aware of it before I press on.
2. Although this phobia of mine may largely influence my personal opinion of the poultry business, I am curious to find out whether a recent observation may affect attitudes of those in the non-bird-fearing population.
3. In this blog, I will attempt only to address poultry farming and processing. Beef and other meats are an entirely different matter, and belong in an entirely different forum for discussion.
**Please forgive the less-than-professional look of the following photo, as it was taken with a Kodak EasyShare through the windshield of a 75 mph- moving Maxima **
Yes, my friends, the vehicle you see before you is, in fact, an 18-wheeler packed tight with live chickens, undoubtedly en route to a slaughter house. I spotted this frightening display on a Maryland freeway heading north from Virginia, and gaped in horror at the sight of chicken wings fluttering and beating against other chicken wings and bodies. Feathers flew from the open-air cages and a cacophony of tortuous cries and gear-shifting was audible even through the closed windows of our own car. A suspicious and liquid-esque matter periodically splattered on our windshield as we cruised behind this sick scene.
Ugh. McDonald’s Southern-style chicken biscuit, anyone? In this news clip, a Virginia woman finds an actual fried chicken head in her order of McNuggets:
Check out one of my older posts, “Things a lot worse than extra salt sitting in McDonald’s ‘meat’” for more criticism of the chain.
Now, despite the fact that I find chicken to be repulsive in general, there are certainly arguments for the other side. For example, chicken is often praised as a healthy alternative to red meat, as it is a lean protein. Some people may be turned off by fast-food-type chicken in particular, but as BBC Reports, there is such a thing as kosher and halal chicken. I am neither Jewish nor Muslim, but I can’t help but wonder if these blessed varieties are somewhat cleaner than their non-consecrated counterparts.
Maybe it’s just me.
What do you think about all this?
