Chicken Farms: The Dark Side of Your Dinner

Chicken is a popular choice for dinner, but there's a hidden cost to that meal. In early 2023, investigators found shocking conditions on a large chicken farm in Maryland. They discovered chickens packed tightly together, many dead or dying, and a barn filled with a "blanket of chickens. " The smell was terrible, and there was a huge pile of manure outside, littered with dead birds. The investigators returned to the farm and visited another nearby operation, finding similar problems. A veterinarian reviewed the footage and noted that many birds couldn't reach food or water due to severe limb deformities or disease. Some dead birds had been left to decompose for days or even weeks. The investigators also obtained inspection documents from Mountaire Farms slaughterhouses, revealing instances of birds being scalded, buried, or suffocated to death. They also found birds that were amputated, diseased, or contaminated with feces. The investigators sent their findings to authorities, but there hasn't been much interest in investigating the company. Mountaire Farms, the nation's fourth-largest chicken company, has not commented on the allegations. The company has a history of environmental pollution and has been accused of creating severe pollution in nearby communities. The company's CEO, Ronald Cameron, is a major donor to Republican politicians and right-wing groups. He has given millions of dollars to candidates, PACs, and state parties since 2014, with over 99 percent of it going to Republicans. Cameron's political generosity has coincided with beneficial political action for Mountaire, including deregulation and immunity from accountability during the Covid-19 pandemic. The meat industry, including chicken farms, has a significant impact on American politics. The industry's political favoritism can be explained in part by geography; animal agriculture is concentrated in rural states where politicians are much more likely to be Republican. But it can also be explained in part by ideology; Congressional Republicans tend to prefer deregulation, which benefits meat, dairy, and egg companies. The industry's grip on American politics is strong, but there is something anyone can do to push back against the kinds of horrific allegations made against Mountaire and other poultry giants: eat less chicken. In 2022, the US raised and slaughtered a record-breaking 9. 2 billion chickens. The mass production and consumption of chicken rely on unimaginable human and animal suffering.