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These are just the woes of a layer, or a hen in the egg industry.
Broilers, the meat breeds, have different concerns. Through
years of selective breeding, a new copyrighted breed has
emerged. This mystery breed is dubbed the Cornish XX, and it
is the preferred breed since it grows like bamboo. Within two
weeks of birth, the Cornish XX is the size of a full-grown
Orpington. By two months, the breast of the Cornish XX has
grown so large that their unaltered skeletal structure can’t
support them. In contrast, any other breed takes 6-8 months to
reach slaughtering age. By the time these genetic beauties are
harvested, they are too overdeveloped to complete their daily
functions. The daily routine of a chicken is simple: eat, drink,
and stay cool. Dust baths and opening their wings and vents are
two basic chicken cooling methods. At harvesting time, these
chickens can do little more than take a few steps to food and
water. Even worse, as renowned German journalist Nils
Klawitter states, “[w]alking to the feed or water trough is
torture, and many chickens are in constant pain from blisters
on their breasts, fractured bones, chemical burns on the balls of
their feet (from constant fecal exposure) and wounds inflicted by
the beaks of other birds” (2011). This practice of raising genetic
broilers is currently practiced around the world, being the