Saturday essay: Chicken 'rights'

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Saturday, January 11, 2003 | editorial

[Willie Green]

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has a bone to pick with the KFC chain, which PETA is boycotting.

KFC, PETA says, uses suppliers that don

[Anti-Bubba182]

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[Revelation 911]

My hero is "mike the headless chicken"

September 10th, 1945 finds a strapping (but tender) five and a half month old Wyandotte rooster pecking through the dust of Fruita, Colorado. The unsuspecting bird had never looked so delicious as he did that, now famous, day. Clara Olsen was planning on featuring the plump chicken in the evening meal. Husband Lloyd Olsen was sent out, on a very routine mission, to prepare the designated fryer for the pan. Nothing about this task turned out to be routine.

Lloyd knew his Mother in Law would be dining with them and would savor the neck. He positioned his ax precisely, estimating just the right tolerances, to leave a generous neck bone. "It was as important to Suck-Up to your Mother in Law in the 40's as it is today." A skillful blow was executed and the chicken staggered around like most freshly terminated poultry. Then the determined bird shook off the traumatic event and never looked back. Mike (it is unclear when the famous rooster took on the name) returned to his job of being a chicken. He pecked for food and preened his feathers just like the rest of his barnyard buddies.

When Olsen found Mike the next morning, sleeping with his "head" under his wing, he decided that if Mike had that much will to live, he would figure out a way to feed and water him. With an eyedropper Mike was given grain and water. It was becoming obvious that Mike was special. A week into Mike's new life Olsen packed him up and took him 250 miles to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The skeptical scientists were eager to answer all the questions regarding Mike's amazing ability to survive with no head. It was determined that ax blade had missed the jugular vein and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although most of his head was in a jar, most of his brain stem and one ear was left on his body. Since most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem Mike was able to remain quite healthy. In the 18 MONTHS that Mike lived as "The Headless Wonder Chicken" he grew from a mere 2 1/2 lbs. to nearly 8 lbs.

In a Gayle Meyer interview Olsen said Mike was a "robust chicken - a fine specimen of a chicken except for not having a head." Some longtime Fruita residents, gathered at the Monument Cafe for coffee, also remember Mike - "he was a big fat chicken who didn't know he didn't have a head" - "he seemed as happy as any other chicken." Mike's excellent state of health made it difficult for animal-rights activists to garner much of a following. Even now the town of Fruita celebrates Mike's impressive will to live, not the nature of his handicap. Miracle Mike took on a manager, and with the Olsens in tow, set out on a national tour. Curious sideshow patrons in New York, Atlantic City, Los Angeles, and San Diego lined up to pay 25 cents to see Mike. The "Wonder Chicken" was valued at $10,000.00 and insured for the same. His fame and fortune would earn him recognition in Life and Time Magazines. It goes without saying there was a Guinness World Record in all this. While returning from one of these road trips the Olsens stopped at a motel in the Arizona desert. In the middle of the night Mike began to choke. Unable to find the eyedropper used to clear Mike's open esophagus Miracle Mike passed on. Now, Mike's spirit is celebrated the third weekend in May (18th & 19th, 2001) in Fruita, Colorado. Don't miss it!

[OneLoyalAmerican]

Thanks Willie:

LOL Bump

PETA advocates.
Further advancing the theory: Brain use is not an option for a liberal version of the human being.

Liberal cave man: Please don’t eat me Mr. Bear. I respect you by not killing and eating you.
Pre-historic bear instinct: Vegetarian cave man tastes good too.

[logic101.net]

Excuse me, but what ISN'T PETA boycotting? KFC treats their chickens poorly? Well yah, they kill them and fry them! But they kill them first, don't they? I certainly wouldn't eat their food if they didn't! Fried feathers just don't seem too tasty!

The comment that 'human suffering and animal suffering are interconnected' does have some merit. If people don't reduce animal populations by killing and eating them, not only do the animals starve but so do the people! The proof of this is India!


MARK A SITY
http://www.logic101.net/

[fight_truth_decay]

Who could post a better reply than this one !!

[KLT]

Here's a good chicken for ya...Revelation.....what should we do with her...

[lds23]

Was that another chicken joke?

[LaraCroft]

It should be mandatory that all these wackos that are complaining about animals having any rights spend some time at factory farms and slaughter houses. Thier ignorance of the facts tints thier arguments.

Ok.. eat them if you must, but must you torture them their entire lives first?
Go put your dog in a cage so samll that he can't turn around or lay full out, be sure the bottom is just wire, and cut off his tail and ears, cause they keep getting snagged in the wire.... there you go. Enjoy your pet for the next year or so like that.

[William Terrell]

Every carnivore and omnivore on the face of the Earth eats chicken. Even other chickens. There is a definite IQ ceiling to become a PETA member. That would be about 40, is my guess.

[Constitution Day]

Get real, PETA!
Chicken has a right to be crispy and delicious. That's it.

[Revelation 911]

my buddy KLT - thats who - see #7

[DWSUWF]

"...Chicken has a right to be crispy and delicious. That's it..."

Delicious, yes...

Crispy, NEVER!

Give me original recipe or death.

[Revelation 911]

Ok.. eat them if you must, but must you torture them their entire lives first? Go put your dog in a cage so samll that he can't turn around or lay full out, be sure the bottom is just wire, and cut off his tail and ears, cause they keep getting snagged in the wire.... there you go. Enjoy your pet for the next year or so like that.

you have a point - I do prefer free range chicken - particularly cornish hens raised in the yard - Chickens on the whole are pretty stupid like pheasants - quail seem pretty smart though, as do grouse -

perhaps a nice glass of cool white wine, a light searing with pancetta and herbs may improve the palatability

GRRRRRR baby yeah

[DannyTN]

"PETA is boycotting" "PETA believes that people should not eat...animals " The revenue impact of the loss of all those fried chicken eating PETA members will be like the sky is falling.

[DannyTN]

"PETA is boycotting"

"PETA believes that people should not eat...animals "

The revenue impact of the loss of all those fried chicken eating PETA members will be like the sky is falling.

[FreedomPoster]

>>KFC treats their chickens poorly?

Actually, I don't think KFC raises any chickens. They buy them from the producers, like everyone else. Tyson, Perdue, ConAgra, GoldKist, etc.

[FreedomPoster]

>>Enjoy your pet for the next year or so like that

A typical broiler goes from egg to the kill plant in about 40 days.

[doug from upland]

We have an obligation to be humane to animals. Anything less than that diminishes us.

[LaraCroft]

Oh, cool... only 40 days of torture. How bout the ones who lay eggs? How long do they live? And what about hogs?

Cattle?

Regardless,.... its OK to torture something for a short amount of time?