Symphony is a chicken at Farm Sanctuary. (Photo property of Farm Sanctuary.)

Recently, almost 1,000 chickens at a Foster Farms processing plant were killed by someone with golf club. Foster Farms has condemned the act as an “unconscionable act of animal cruelty.”

I guess it’s only an “unconscionable act of animal cruelty” when they don’t stand to make a profit.

From the LA Times:

Detectives are looking into a motive, but “whoever did something like this is pretty sick,” [Detective] Curtice said. “It would take a long time to do it…. People should be alarmed at something like that.”

“Something like this“?

I agree that the act of killing a defenseless, innocent animal with a golf club is “pretty sick.” But I don’t see how it’s much different from the day-to-day operations of the processing facility, except for the fact that Foster Farms was unable to make a profit from the slaughter.

“People should be alarmed at something like that.”

Yes, we should be alarmed when people kill animals. I’m glad that the detective and I are in agreement.

Detective Curtice also went on to say that,

“Psychopathic behavior, it’s sick behavior. And people who will do this, it can definitely lead to other things,” said Deputy Chris Curtice of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

All day, every day, countless birds are murdered at the same site where those 920 birds were killed. The method may have been different, and those killed by the golf club won’t go on to become chicken nuggets. Foster Farms contributes to the yearly murder of seven BILLION chickens every year. That we eat the chickens who were killed should make no difference.

Of course, there are plenty of asinine comments and snarky articles already making their way onto the internet. Comments and statements like:

I’ve written a few posts already on how chickens suffer, on the idea that they are “stupid,” so please feel free to read them.

The fact is, the poultry industry (just like the other food industries which exploit animals) is cruel. See this:

Broiler chickens spend an average of 45 days in the grower sheds. Once they have reached market weight, they are transported to outside facilities for slaughtering. For the birds, the journey to the slaughterhouse is physically and psychologically abusive. Catching teams load the chickens at rates of up to 1,500 birds an hour, injuring many in the process. From dislocated hips and broken wings to internal hemorrhaging, the chickens suffer due to the lack of care on the part of the catchers. During transport, the chickens are denied food, water, and shelter. The crates are often improperly covered, and the birds are exposed to high winds and cold temperatures. The unfeathered parts of their bodies become red and swollen, and sometimes even gangrene. Many chickens die during the trip from hypothermia, or from heart failure associated with stress.

And this:

RIP to all the chickens killed at Foster Farms.