The Rights Of Animals

I have chickens in my home, and they don't care if we take their eggs (unless they've been sitting on them for quite a while ie 3 days). They do fight if you try to take their young, as is the natural instinct inherent in all mothering species. Once the chick is born they are part of the flock, and they protect each other, sometimes to death.

I have 6 chickens in my house, if they are cornered and threatened, they will peck regardless. However, to say they are protecting their eggs is ridiculous; I can carry a chicken to is nest, pick up all its eggs (while its one foot away), and it won't peck at me. It seems to me, chickens do not recognize the eggs as "Hey, that is my egg, it has my baby inside it", it recognizes it as "I want to sit there".

Peter Singer errs in stating that hens are not so concerned about removal of their eggs. Try stealing her eggs or chicks away from a setting or brooding hen, and see how she reacts. Hens and roosters alike are famous for the fierceness with which they will defend their young from predators - fighting to the death, if need be. But they cannot defend themselves or their eggs in farming operations, including "free range."


"mean" for trying to defent their eggs from being removed.
"mean" because they fight with their beaks to protect their eggs from being taken away.

Although I do agree with much of what Mr Singer has to say if he thinks that Prop 2 in California is about animal rights he might want to read his own book Animal Liberation again. Prop 2 does nothing to liberate animals from exploitation. Prop 2 gives no real rights to animals it only gives the right for humans who eat animals to feel better about continuing to eat them. Animal rights is about not treating animals better but about not using and abusing them in the first place. Go Vegan!!!!!!

Talexvet, you clearly didn't do your research on who wrote this article (to whom your comment was directed, I believe). Peter Singer has visited many farms in his research for books on animal agriculture, and he has seen what really happens behind closed doors. Personally, I am much more inclined to believe an outsider to the animal agriculture industry than someone such as yourself who works for them. Veterinarians working for factory farms aren't capable of looking after thousands of animals confined into small spaces, and animals with injuries often languish for days before receiving treatment, if any, and may even die before their injuries are noticed. If they do receive treatment, most likely it will be antibiotics, which are recklessly used in this industry and which endanger the safety of humans and animals alike. I'm sorry, but I just can't trust a veterinarian's opinion, especially one which sounds lockstep with industry language.

To report on the practice of banning the placing of chickens in boxes better suited for chicken nuggets is one thing, but this article is atrocious. It descends into wishy-washy garbage that I would sooner expect from a kid that has seen "Chicken Run" too many times.

Let us not make the mistake of humanizing animals: that's for cartoons. The natural role of these animals in the ecosystem is to flee predators until they are eaten. There is nothing wrong with instead taking care of that animal until it is time for it to be eaten.

For the sake of animals, ourselves, and the planet, I most certainly hope everyone will be vegan. It can't happen soon enough. See, for example: http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/