Chicken house surprise...

I've been inside many poultry houses, dairies, hog growing operations, racing stables, dog tracks, and rodeos and none of them were nightmare horrible. Those farmers take care of their animals because their income depends on it. They don't start raising animals in the first place unless they like animals.

I wouldn't raise my own livestock that way, but on the other hand, I can't produce eggs and sell them for 79 cents a dozen, either. The public has no chance that I am going to produce enough food to feed them.

There is too much anthropomorphism going on. Just because I don't want to sit in a cage, doesn't mean that a hen doesn't feel just fine about sitting where she can reach food and water 24 hours a day without having to move. Chickens don't necessarily see things the same way a human does.

Actually, come to think of it, there are a whole lot of people who would sit all day without moving, in front of the TV, as long as they didn't have to get up to fetch more chips and beer. So that's not much different than the hen in the egg barn, except that chickens don't seem to have any interest in television.

Do I raise my own chickens that way? No. I think I get better food, but there are a lot of people who need cheaper food more than they need better food. The big farms are providing it. More power to them, I say.

Well stated OW!

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Since you are not off the grid yet but prepared, have you considered staying on the grid while supplying your own power in order to get paid by your power company for putting power back into the grid? Just wondering if that is an option where you are.

Yes I thought of that, looking at all kinds of options. Now at present time heat and hot water is free, I have an outside furnace that heats the house and part of the barn and all he hot water. But yes I'm looking into it then sell the power back. Thanks for the reply.

I have spent most of my life in and around poultry houses and have seen many operations in 50 years. Yest the litter can be 12 - 18 inches deep in a turkey house. They stay months in the house and there is a lot of poop. But the smells are not as bad as when the business first started so many years ago. They are constantly working to improve ventilation.
But the main thing is. If people did not eat so much chicken and turkey there would be no need for these houses. For every person that raises their own food there are what? 100000 that don't or can't. And people demand bigger wings, thicker breast, meatier drumsticks and so the poultry companies breed for just that. Breeding of the egg layers is a science that is closely guarded. Those fryers are not just Cornish, they may have a dozen other breeds carefully crossed to provide the meatiest, fastest, growing birds possible.
PETA definitely stages pictures!!!!!