Broiler Chickens

From Miller Farm

THE PLAN

In the Spring and Summer of 2009, the farm has embarked on a new project: the hotly debated Broiler Chickens. Broiler Chickens have been evolved to eat and get fat, without desiring much movement. Obviously, these are meat chickens. The current plan is to sell "live" chickens to near by customers in the middle of the summer. These chickens don't live in the coop with the other chickens, but once big enough to leave the greenhouse live in a chicken tractor that is moved daily and thus fertilizing our front lawn. We have not asked Residence Life what they think of our new landscaping scheme, but we feel the lawn will be the better for it.

THE DEBATE

Raising animals to kill and eat them has sparked many debates and conversations among current, past, and future farmers. Ultimately there is the concern and desire to give the broiler chickens the best possible life while they are at Miller Farm. There has been some question to whether life in a chicken tractor is the best, but this type of chicken is designed so that they would not survive in a much larger space (they would get too fat and not be able to move to their food). With full validity given to all ethical questions, raising these chickens has also been an interesting glimpse into the meat industry and human interference with animal life. Since at least half of our farmers are meat eaters, raising these chickens, as depressing as many of us find it, is a good way to come to personally face the impact of our choices on the world.