When I saw this ad, the first thought that came into my head was 'WTF?'. Seeing this made me so angry. Clearly this add is a lie, so how did it get past broadcasting regulations when their information is false......................?
Watching it also made me think of how people people will now be swayed into buying KFC because the chicken is 'free range'. Innocent lives lost at the expense of stupidity.
Thats what I would like to have more information on. If they are "free range" where are they sourcing their chicken from? Because Steggles and inghams are clearly not "free range".
Unless they are classing broilers in sheds as free range, because technically, if you think about it, they are. They are "free to roam/range" they just don't walk on real ground, aren't surrounded by daylight, and are denied the ability to forrage (can't spell) for food like they would naturally due to the food being provided through feeders. This could still technically be classed as free range, but clearly it is nothing like what their ad claims to have their chooks come from.
The only way we are ever going to get a clear definition of 'free range' in Australia is for the Federal government to create laws and/or guidelines for the definition of 'free range'. That way this kind of confusion and false advertisement can be avoided. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening anytime soon
We also need the government to ban all the steroids and growth hormones they give the chooks. Don't understand at all how animal cruelty can be such a big issue but they are willing to let these chickens die painfully and live their lives in such conditions.
How is them getting their skin burnt off from the chemicals on the floor, any different from a dog being burnt alive.
Neither one deserves it and both die painfully for nothing.
They can get away with claiming the animals are not fed any hormones because it isn't in their feed, it's all the genetics, bred to grow alot more than their natural growth rate.
Having previously observed Chickens "Grown" for KFC, they are far from free ranged.
When you enter these farms, the first thing you notice is your lungs burning. (This is at 200m away from the sheds).
They have 2m wide fans pushing the air out of these sheds which causes a large zone to be rather unbreathable.
The land around is rather overgrown with weeds which seems to have exploded with the run off from the shed, another side affect of this causes your feet to become infected and believe me it lasts for weeks.
The sheds, feed, water, air-movement and even lighting is all automated, these birds will only see humans when they are born and then again once they are killed.
A lot of the sheds now use an open wall system, which means they have sides that can be dropped down to allow natural light and air to pass through the building at random points of these birds lives.
This "open wall" system is nothing more then a tarpaulin cover that can be raised or lowered, there is still "chicken wire" on the other side of this to prevent the birds getting out and foxes/activists getting in.
This is what gives these birds the title of "free ranged" simply because they have access to "Fresh air and sunlight".
(This is all a clever ploy and cunning wording.
The ad its self is not lying in the sense the birds have access to "fresh air and light" just not to the degree the ad shows.)
Once you get passed the smells and the mud filled with faeces, you then come across tanks of a gas I have not been able to identify, only that it has a toxic flag on the side.
I assume it is maybe a system that might be catching some of the methane gas to on-sell as a byproduct?
Inside these sheds, the birds are packed in so tight they can barely move, the automated feed and water system tends to hang from the ceiling with outlets every 1m or so to allow these birds to stay in one spot to minimise stress.
These birds are cover in their own faeces and are covered in such a high number of illnesses its frightening to think people will actually be eating them in a number of days/weeks.
These birds can be fed growth hormones in Australia if they are not growing at their usual expected rate.
Anti-biotics are present in all the birds feed to help keep them alive long enough to make it to slaughter.
I personally believe all animal farming needs to come to an end not only to prevent cruelty but to also help the planet and in the end, even our own health.
From my own experiences these birds are highly stressed at their conditions and do not act in the natural way a chicken normally would in a open setting.
And this is all for peoples addictions and taste buds.
Really makes you wonder...
