21,000 Chicks Burned Alive on UK Egg Farm
It’s estimated that 21,000 chicks have died in a fire on an egg farm in Lancashire.
According to a BBC report, a blaze broke out at the facility, burning down the building in which all the birds were housed.
The pain and fear that they must have endured as the shed was engulfed in flames is almost unimaginable – yet the fate they had in store had the fire not taken place was no better.
For most male chicks born into the egg industry, life ends moments after it begins. Because they can’t lay eggs and haven’t been bred to produce excessive flesh for meat, they’re regarded as useless and literally thrown away. They face a horrific death – either tossed into the rubbish and left to suffocate or thrown alive into a high-speed meat grinder.
Life for their sisters is a living nightmare. When they’re just a few days old, farmers cut off part of their beaks with an infrared laser to prevent them from pecking and injuring each other out of frustration at being trapped in severely crowded battery-style cages with, typically, little more usable space than the size of an A4 piece of paper.
They commonly sustain broken bones and suffer from osteoporosis, and disease runs rampant in the filthy, cramped sheds. Many die, and the survivors are often forced to live alongside the rotting bodies of dead birds. When their egg production begins to wane, they’re slaughtered – often while still conscious and able to feel every agonising and terrifying second of it.
What You Can Do
Show that you’re serious about helping chickens by ordering our free vegan starter kit – then tell your friends about it and persuade them to follow your example!
