Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers.
These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails and turkeys) and the family Anatidae (in order Anseriformes), commonly known as "waterfowl" (e.g. domestic ducks and domestic geese).
Poultry also includes other birds which are killed for their meat, such as pigeons or doves or birds considered to be game, like pheasants.
Poultry comes from the French/Norman word, poule, itself derived from the Latin word Pullus, which means small animal.
Poultry is the second most widely eaten meat in the world, accounting for about 30% of meat production worldwide, after pork at 38%
These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails and turkeys) and the family Anatidae (in order Anseriformes), commonly known as "waterfowl" (e.g. domestic ducks and domestic geese).
Poultry also includes other birds which are killed for their meat, such as pigeons or doves or birds considered to be game, like pheasants.
Poultry comes from the French/Norman word, poule, itself derived from the Latin word Pullus, which means small animal.
Poultry is the second most widely eaten meat in the world, accounting for about 30% of meat production worldwide, after pork at 38%
In the wild, chickens like to dust-bathe, turkeys fly considerable distances, and ducks spend most of their lives on water.
But in poultry farms, thousands are crammed together in dark sheds, unable to express their natural instincts. They are forced to stand and lie down in their own waste, as the litter on the barn floor is never changed.
The ammonia that builds up in such environments often burns away their breast feathers and causes ulcers on their legs.
The birds are fattened up so quickly that their legs may not be able to carry the weight of their ballooning bodies.
Each year, millions die from thirst and hunger because they collapse under the strain and are unable to drag themselves to the food and water units.
But in poultry farms, thousands are crammed together in dark sheds, unable to express their natural instincts. They are forced to stand and lie down in their own waste, as the litter on the barn floor is never changed.
The ammonia that builds up in such environments often burns away their breast feathers and causes ulcers on their legs.
The birds are fattened up so quickly that their legs may not be able to carry the weight of their ballooning bodies.
Each year, millions die from thirst and hunger because they collapse under the strain and are unable to drag themselves to the food and water units.