The life of a “broiler”, as the industry calls chickens raised for their meat, lasts on average only 45 days. Within this span the birds gain a truly staggering amount of weight. Decades of selective breeding for fast growth and unnatural proportions have warped their growth patterns, to the point where their bodies can no longer keep up with their own growth. As one chicken producer said, “Aside from the stupendous rate of growth... the sign of a good meat flock is the number of birds dying from heart attacks.”

Packed in buildings with thousands of other chickens, their waste produces concentrated ammonium vapors, which force workers to wear masks when feeding the animals. The birds get no such protection, however, and suffer from damaged lungs and feather loss due to ammonium burns.

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