ChickenOut

My second week in a factory farm

A CRUSH TO FEED

It’s my second week in this huge barren shed and I haven’t been as active as I was before. I have felt constantly hungry and when I can get to the crowded feeder, I have spent most of my time eating. The artificial lights have been turned down this week and there is much less activity in the shed, not that there is much to do in here anyway. I have been spending less time exploring and more time resting, although it is hard when other chickens keep bumping into me. I seem to be gaining weight quickly and growing quite fast, so there is now a lot less space to move around. It has been two weeks since we arrived in this vast, dismal shed and we are still sitting, sleeping and toileting in the same dirty litter.

FACT CHECK:
In intensive chicken production, fast-growing breeds are used. Chickens grow very rapidly and have large appetite. They are very inactive and spend much of their time lying down, as their heavy weight leaves them no spare energy for exercise. As they grow larger, they have increasingly little space to move. A typical stocking density in the EU is about 17-20 birds per square metre at the end of the rearing period, which is the space allowance of less than a A4 sheet of paper.

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In the free-range farm – another chicken’s second week

WE’RE OUT!

I have been at my free-range farm for two weeks now and the doors around the side of the shed have been opened. It was scary going outside for the first time and many of the chickens stayed in the barn looking out. The brave ones left first and we followed. Most of us are staying quite close to the shed, walking and running around the sides. I am sure I will explore further soon. This week I found a worm, which was really exciting, but another chicken managed to steal it. Oh well, I have lots of space to find more worms and other fun things to do. I might go for a nice scratch around in the straw.

FACT CHECK:
Typically, commercial free-range chickens will not have access to the outdoors as soon as they arrive on the farm but the pop holes will soon be open when the chicks are old enough. Modern chickens originate from the wild red jungle fowl and in a natural environment, they are very active animals spending their day foraging for food, scratching the ground looking for insects and seeds. When given the opportunity, chickens tend to range widely, using the cover of trees and vegetation for safety from predators.