



Chickens originated from red jungle fowl who naturally live in small groups of just 12. Even after thousands of years of domestication, chickens have the same behaviours and desires as their wild ancestors. They enjoy making nests, preening their feathers, and searching for food. At night, chickens prefer to roost together above the ground for safety and comfort. On factory farms, chickens are deprived of nearly everything that is natural to them. They are kept in cramped wire battery cages and can never fully spread their wings, walk, perch, or build nests. Each hen has less space than a single sheet of notebook paper to live her entire miserable life. Although chickens can live up to 12 years, those used by the egg industry are killed before reaching their second birthday. Like us, chickens form friendships and have strong family ties. Scientists have recently learned that chickens can recognize one hundred other birds based on distinct facial features. The bond between a hen and her chicks is particularly strong. Hens chirp to their chicks while still in the egg to coordinate hatching, and are fiercely protective of their young. A hen will give her life to protect her chicks. Chickens on factory farms never get to meet their mothers or experience motherhood themselves. From the time they hatch to the time they are killed, chickens are kept in unnatural groupings in crowded conditions, unable to explore or interact as they naturally would. In the egg industry, males are seen as worthless and killed immediately after hatching, either by being ground up alive or gassed. Chickens are inquisitive animals, considered by scientists to be as smart as mammals, including some primates. Chickens are able to understand that recently hidden objects still exist, which is beyond the capacity of young children. Dr. Joy Mench observes: "Chickens show sophisticated social behavior. They have more than thirty types of vocalizations." In factory farms, chickens are treated as mere production machines. In addition to the severe mental and social deprivation, forcing a naturally active bird to spend her life in a cramped and nearly stationary position causes numerous health problems, including lameness, bone brittleness, and muscle weakness. Nearly 30 percent of hens have broken bones at the time they are slaughtered.