This is a chicken

This is a chicken.

Not a steak.

Not a burger.

Not a nugget.

It is a living sentient being. One that feels.

One that tickles just like a dog would, one that loves the warmth of a cozy bed just like a dog would. One that appreciates a loving hug and a belly rub just like a dog would. One that feels pain when kicked, just like a dog would. Your dog!

A chicken feels happiness and sadness. They have an array of emotions and are very intelligent and curious. They are protective of their peers and they want to live! Hens have demonstrated unique maternal traits and care toward their little ones.

If it’s a He, he will be killed and smashed minutes after coming out of his shell.

If it’s a She, she will be born in an incubator… Far from the loving touch of a mother. She will be raised on a factory farm under artificial light. She will never know or feel the appeasing feeling of being in the sun.

The feeling of having a cool breeze on her skin, walking on green grass, or having a free dirt bath will never be known to her.

At 6 weeks she will be cramped into a tiny crate crowded with other terrified chickens one onto the other and driven to a slaughterhouse to have her violently shoved around to finally get her throat slit open. She will then be dismembered.

You see, we don’t only take her life. We emotionally abuse her and deprive her of her freedom. We torture her and took away what was rightfully hers: her freedom and her right to live.

It is all a matter of perspective. Anyone who has spent time with a chicken will undeniably see that they are no different from the cats and dogs we call family members.

Let’s change our perspectives and reject this general acceptance that it is okay to hurt others. Let’s stop normalizing pain and torture. Let’s stop acting like we are superior to other beings. We are not. We will only really come a bit close to being superior the day we help and protect the helpless and show compassion to those who are oppressed.

Advertisement