of birds suffering from deformities is bound to be much
higher.^18 Theauthors ofa studyof oneparticular form of
cripplingconcluded:“Weconsiderthatbirdsmighthavebeen
bredtogrowsofastthattheyareonthevergeofstructural
collapse.”^19
Theatmosphereinwhichthebirdsmustliveisitselfahealth
hazard.Duringthesevenoreightweeksthebirdsareinthe
sheds,noeffortismadetochangethelitterorremovethe
birds’ droppings. Despite mechanical ventilation, the air
becomeschargedwithammonia,dust,andmicroorganisms.
Studieshaveshownthat,asonemightexpect,dust,ammonia,
andbacteriahavedamagingeffectsonthebirds’lungs.^20 The
department of community medicine at the University of
Melbourne, Australia,
conductedastudyintothehealthhazardsofthisatmosphere
forchickenfarmers.Theyfoundthat 70 percentoffarmers
reportedsoreeyes,nearly 30 percentregularcoughing,and
nearly 15 percentasthmaandchronicbronchitis.Asaresult,
theresearcherswarnedchickenfarmerstospendaslittletime
aspossibleintheirshedsandtoweararespiratorwhenthey
go in.But thestudy said nothingaboutrespiratorsfor the
chickens.^21
Whenthebirdsmuststandandsitonrotting,dirty,ammonia-
charged litter, they also suffer from ulcerated feet, breast
blisters, and hock burns. “Chicken parts” are often the
remainingparts of damaged birdswhose bodies cannotbe
soldwhole.Damagetothefeet,however,isnotaproblemfor
the industry, since the feet are cut off after slaughter anyway.
Iflivinginlong,crowded,ammonia-filled,dusty,windowless
sheds is stressful, the birds’ first and only experience of