‘‘FRANKENSTEIN’’ BROILERS
The industry of broilers and laying hens has been the largest and most present industry in world for several years, and equally, it is one of the cruelest industries that exists in modern world. The reason for this is reflected in the large and drastic changes that the whole world has experienced in the last few decades thanks to the intensive process of globalization and industrialization, which has completely changed the breeding of chickens and other poultry in the food industry.
Source: We Animals Media
So, for example, in the 1920s, a farm chicken was raised on average for about 112 days before slaughter, and weighed only about 1 kilogram. Today, a hundred years later, the cultivation time has been shortened to only 47 days, while the weight of the broilers reaches up to 3 kilograms. It is not surprising that in practice the term frankenstein chicken (eng. franken-chicken or frankenchicken) is used to denote such, unnaturally and forcibly fattened chickens.
Frankenstein chickens is a term that has been used in the last ten years to describe a chicken fattened on broiler farms. Today, broilers are cultivated through different methods of selective breeding with various combination of antibiotics and hormones being used, which result in the sudden and unnatural growth of these animals. This unnatural "fatting" of chickens led to the fact that their breeding period was cut in half, which reduced the costs necessary for breeding, but also faster profit for the breeders.
As it can be assumed, Frankenstein chickens suffer from numerous disorders that occur as a result of their forced and unnatural growth, which are primarily reflected in the deformity and "twisting" of the legs, due to the excessive weight that they simply cannot bear. A large number of these animals are therefore forced to lie in their own excrement for days or even weeks, and it often results in burns and other skin disorders, various diseases or even death. In fact, research has shown that in the United Kingdom alone, more than a million Frankenstein chickens die each year before they even reach the slaughterhouse, thanks to the terrible living conditions on farms or due to various diseases caused by such breeding, the most common cause of which is heart attack.
Source: Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark/National Geographic Creative
As breeders have significantly shortened the breeding period of these hens, so now one of them can reach the "desired" weight after only 5 or 6 weeks, if we take into account that the average lifespan of a hen is about 6 years, that conclude that they are actually still just chicks. Research that was conducted on this topic indicates that, "to illustrate just how fast they grow, imagine a 5 year old child weighing 150 kg".
It is also important to emphasize that consuming meat from these chickens is also not healthy at all. Considering the extent to which these animals are given hormones and antibiotics, as well as considering the very large number of disease cases, immobility and life spent in their own excrement, research has shown that 8 out of 10 broilers suffer from muscle diseases, meaning that their meat has higher fat percentage and is less healthy than the meat of other chickens. The same research showed that the largest number of these broilers are found in stores such as Asda, Aldi and Lidl.
For this reason, a large number of international organizations for the rights and protection of animals, allude to farms and companies engaged in breeding these chickens and selling their meat or meat products, to sign the so-called "Better Chicken Commitment", by which they actually show their customers and users that they meet the best possible standards regarding conditions related to animal welfare, sustainability and food quality.
As an individual, you can help stop this inhumane practice by first and foremost being mindful of the origin of the chicken you consume. When doing so, pay attention to whether the type of farm from which the meat originates, such as ‘‘cage free’’ or ‘‘free range’’, is indicated on the packaging. Regardless of the fact that a certain product may say that it is of organic origin, make sure that the chicken you buy does not have ‘‘white stripings’’ on it, which represent fat and connective tissue, created as a result of the accelerated breeding of chickens. Ultimately, the best way to combat this problem is to gradually reduce the consumption of chicken meat and switch to a more plant-based diet.
Source: We Animals Media
