Advertisement
It’s those particular slaughter facilities that remain of grave concern for Giovana Vieira, veterinarian and Ph.D. in Animal Behavior and Well-being. “Although it was a small victory for the animals and slaughterhouse workers, Biden’s executive action did not revoke the 54 waivers that were granted to poultry slaughterhouses to allow them to operate at 175 birds per minute.” In other words, there are still millions of chickens enduring increased slaughter speeds and the associated dangers of injury and harm.
Vieira also points to a related, ongoing concern for chickens being slaughtered by the billions each year in the US: live-shackling. Animal advocates around the country are currently campaigning against this especially inhumane aspect of slaughter, which involves hanging birds upside down by their feet and submerging them into electrified water before running their throats across a blade. “Workers shackling chickens must hang dozens of birds per minute to keep up with standard line speeds,” explains Vieira, adding that doing so can break or dislocate the animals’ legs. Hanging chickens upside down also increases their stress and anxiety, she says. “Unlike humans, chickens don’t have a diaphragm. When they are hung upside down, their organs press down on their lungs, making it difficult for them to breathe. In the US there is no regulation for how long a conscious chicken can be hung by its feet like this before being killed.”