Chicken meat. One of the most accessible meats available. One of the cheapest meats available. The meat that women on a diet reach for. The meat you can have in your sandwich for lunch, for your roast dinner or in your salad as a snack. Having not eaten meat for nearly 20 years now, I have heard this many times – “What? You don’t eat meat? Not even chicken?!!”. No, not even chicken. You see chicken meat actually comes from a little animal who can feel pain, who can make decisions, who can make emotional connections and who is essentially not that different to us. Chickens are thinking, feeling sentient beings yet they are treated as nothing in our society by the majority of people.
Chicken meat does not come from an ex-laying hen who has had a good life and it does not comes from a chicken who has had years of free range freedom. Chicken meat comes from baby chickens, chickens as young as 5-7 weeks old who still chirp and still have baby blue eyes. These selectively bred chicks are hatched and then put straight into massive sheds that can hold up to 40,000 – 60,000 chickens per shed. A farmer who has many sheds on his property can “grow” several million chickens per year. These chicks are left to their own devises for the next 5-7 weeks of their lives…the only 5-7 weeks of their lives. The sheds are lined with automatic feeders and waterers. As the chickens grow, the room for each chicken gets smaller and smaller. Chickens are trapped in their own waste. Chickens die slow and painful deaths from respiratory disorders due to constantly breathing in air from an uncleaned shed.
Broiler chickens have been selectively bred over many years to grow incredibly large in the shortest amount of time possible. At 5 weeks old, a broiler chick looks like an adult bird. Because of these rapid growth rates, many chickens in these sheds will become crippled due to their bodies being too large for their legs to carry. They wont be able to get up and eat or drink and will slowly starve to death. At 5-7 weeks when it’s time for them to be slaughtered, the chickens are roughly picked up in bunches by one leg and thrown into a transport truck. At this point, it is the only time these lovely birds ever get to see the sky….and it will be their last that they get to see it, all because humans believe their tastebuds are more important that an individual’s life.
Broiler chickens have a very special place in my heart. I’ve found them to be gentle, sweet individuals who create loving and emotional bonds with their friends and the people who care for them. They grieve deeply for their best friends and find comfort in a human who protects and nutures them. To rescue broiler chickens from their fate is a rewarding, yet also heartbreaking undertaking. To see these lovely chickens enjoying the sun on their faces, eating grass and dust bathing is a pure joy. But, to see them struggle with their enormous weight and know that one day soon you will loose them due to their massive bodies and all the health problems that go along with that can often be a heavy burden on your heart. Taking on broiler chickens, you need to know that one day very soon you’ll be burying them because of their genetic problems. To be able to bury a broiler chicken with respect in their favourite spot in the garden is always so difficult, not only because you’ve lost a very important family member, but also because you know about the billions and billions and billions of other innocent and sweet individuals who never get the chance to be buried. Their bodies are eaten instead of being laid to rest.
The broiler chickens in these particular images are only a week old. Curious, innocent and sweet, all they really want at this age is a mother’s comfort, protection and love – something they will never know.
This series is a work in progress and will feature broiler chicken sheds full of baby chickens ranging between the ages of 0-7 weeks old. I very rarely use black and white in any of my images, but this series seems to call for it. It symbolises the lack of colour in these chickens short lives. They experience nothing.They are born. Fattened up. Killed. Then eaten. Eaten with the the utmost disrespect. They are treated as nothing. They are not nothing. They are each an individual like you or I, yet, they are born to die.
Please don’t use my images without permission. All images are Copyright Tamara Kenneally
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Thank you for the work you do Tamara. I’m happy to be able to say that I’m vegan.
When I went to a farm once to get hay, they had one broiler chicken, who had somehow escaped the trip to the slaughter house, and they gave her to me. I had her for less than 2 weeks; she had stage 4 bumble foot, it turns out, and apparently, my vet told me, that the infection was already in her bones and she could not be saved. She was a wild little thing for exactly 1 day. And then because she knew I was trying to make her better, and made sure she got food and a safe comfortable place to sleep, she would hobble across the grass (she walked on her hocks) to meet me so that I could pick her up and carry her into her sleeping spot in the workshop each night. She was so patient while I treated her feet, usually eating an entire peach during the process. RIP Eileen. At least she rests in a marked grave, unlike the millions and millions that are eaten. She was one sweet girl. Lovely pictures, thank you. If you can just make people think about WHO they are eating, you will save more girls like Eileen.
Go vegan…..this is evil.
The only way to stop this unnecessary cruelty is to go vegan. Free Range does not work.
I can imagine how hard it must have been for you to photograph all those precious sweet living beings while they suffer so much :'( You are an incredibly good photographer Tamara Kenneally and I have much much respect for you and your work. Thank you for showing the world! From my forever vegan heart to yours <3.
I used to go to El Pllo Loco to order those chicken only meal almost every week($9.99 for 8 pieces or $ 10 for 10 pieces if you have their coupon).
After seeing pictures of your article I suddenly cried a lot and realized how cruel are our fellow human being. From now on I will never eat any meat again.
Actually you are what you eat and you will become the animal you ate in your next life and be eaten by other humans. This is the law of nature. Also I think the end of human being is near cause God will not allow this to be going on for too long if God really exists .
where can adopt some of these chickens??
Hi Tamara,
A few months ago I wrote to you about my broiler hen Bessie. Bessie is about 4 months old now and is doing well. (She is VERY large!) I would love to send you a picture of her but the e-mail address listed on line doesn’t seem to work (tamarakennneallyphotography.com) Is there an e-mail I can send to?
Carla
Hi Carla, try tamarakenneally@hotmail.com 🙂
Dear Tamara
I hope you don’t mind me contacting you for dome advice. I run a charity in Wales in the UK and we have recently rescued some broiler chicks approximately 14 days old. I see from your website and Facebook you rescue hens both ex bats and broilers.
I am struggling to find the correct diet. For them to slow their growth rate, could you give me any advice?
Warm Regards
Mary
Thank you for opening this website. I love the work that you have done and this website has been useful for working on my high school project.
This is ridiculous. Chickens are individuals like you and I… this is funny
I have friends who are vegan and ones that are vegetarians. I don’t judge them for what they have chosen , as they don’t judge me for my choices. I raise my own boilers for meat. This meat feeds my family and I know what they’re being fed from the get go. I also have layers for eggs and will be raising a calf for meat. I enjoy meat, fish and vegetables. It’s a natural part of life. It’s how the food chain works. One shouldn’t be judged for their choices of what they eat. I have a huge place in my heart for animals. I have dogs, cats, a pet bunny, a pet hedgehog, all my hens and rooster, but I also know that some of it is going to be food for my table and that’s not wrong. I take care of everyone of them and do not treat them bad. It’s great to rescue different animals but stop judging those who choose to eat meat.
I WILL judge you as much as I like Andrea. You have a huge place in your heart for dogs and cats NOT farm animals obviously. You don’t eat those that you love. Have a think about it, use your brain.
Lol. Go away
I have 6 broilers that were given to me back in march of 2018 that were purchased at rual king. After the baby chic cuteness was gone the owner let me have them. I have 3 roosters and 3 hens I have become VERY close to them and love them dearly each one has their own personality. When i mow grass they follow me around like big puppy dogs. It is now a few days till September and the roosters are massive and seem to be healthy and happy well over 10lbs. I know (in the back of my mind) that soon their little hearts will give out but i continue to treat them like they will be with me for years to come . AM I BEING CRUEL FOR KEEPING THEM ALIVE?
It depends how much they are struggling or suffering Kathleen.
This morning our beloved broiler assed away she was little over 6months from what I’ve researched it seems she lived a long life for a bird of her kind we wish we could of had her longer I knew it would be soon though that she would pass,she had a great life full of love and friendship,she actually started laying eggs which I heard they randomly lay daily she did for 3weeks!she will be missed we are happy she got to have a life with us instead of ending up on someone plate .rest in peace my feathered friend.
I just rescued 70 broiler hens. What can I feed them that will keep their weight at a minimum. I would like them to what little bit of Life they have. They are about 2 and 1/2 weeks old right now. Thank you for your help
Hi Tamara,
I really appreciate your kindness, you are wonderful human being with lot of humane qualities. Go ahead and Good luck my dear friend.
Just to say I am also vegan.
Will try to make more vegans in this world, foods without animal flesh.
Naleendre Wikumpriya
Sri Lanka