The Lion's Pride vol. 2 (Jun. 2014) | Page 80

73 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