Killing chooks kindly? Chicken meat consumption in Australia and @abclandline #animalcruelty #chickenmeat

Tweet

Picture from here

A couple of times over the last day or two, I have been giving Landline (@abclandline) a hard time.  This Sunday, 27 February, Landline is airing a program on Australian chicken meat.  Landline has been promoting this on Twitter - so I replied a couple of times questioning whether they were going to include possible and alleged animal cruelty in the program.  Landline does good stuff but there are times when it is too conservative for words in a manner which appears to be done to keep on side the business and agriculture sector.  

Clearly, my Twitters were read because I received an @misseagle on Twitter this morning telling me of this blog post.  I have posted a comment on the post but it has not, at time of writing, been moderated and so is not visible on the site.

Here is what I said:

Thank you Landline for this insight.  What a pity you weren't allowed to film the killing process.  This too is part of the ethical concerns about the production of meat in the live chicken to table process.  And I note that the OTHER company would not let you in.  I suppose because of the controversy surrounding their treatment of the human beings in their employ.  I do congratulate Inghams for allowing Ll in and hope it is the beginning of new public and consumer accountabilities in the industry.  We will want to know more.  We will want to know what happens in the slaughtering process from go to whoa.  I do hope there are some strong messages in the story for the consumer.  Consumer thoughtlessness is at the heart of some unethical corporate food decisions and consumers must take responsibility for their part in the food chain.

Baiada - the other company mentioned besides Inghams and who would not let Landline in - is infamous because, as the owner of Lilydale chicken, it last year faced allegations of shocking mistreatment of its workers.  See Free the Lilydale chicken workers Facebook site.  No wonder Baiada didn't want the media on their premises.  No transparency from that quarter.

So, Networkers, please tune in to ABC 1 next Sunday at 12 noon and have a squizz....then leave a comment on this blog with your thoughts.

Further reading:

Poultry farming

Broiler chickens fact sheet

Killing them softly - is there a kinder way to kill a chook?

Related articles

• Fears after meat worker decapitated (heraldsun.com.au)

Workplace rights battle in Wisconsin #WIunion #killthisbill

Tweet

Dear People of Wisconsin,

I write from Melbourne Australia because it looks like a certain sector of your population, including those with power in your State Government, are nuts.  In fact, from this end of the telescope it looks like you have Fascists in your midst.

In 2007, the people of Australia got sick of their government ignoring their workplace rights and freedoms and chucked out the Federal Government and the Prime Minister lost his seat in Parliament - only the second time that this had occurred in Australian political history.  You see, it turned out that Australians - irrespective of whether their political allegiance was conservative or otherwise -  did not want a deregulated workplace. They did not want a free-for-all on wages and working hours.  They had had enough. They wanted what Australia is known for - a fair go!

Now it took a lot of leadership and a lot of rallies and marches to lead up to the change of government and the overthrowing of a Prime Minister - but it happened under the slogan Your Rights At Work.  

The other slogan to remember is Work in Freedom.  This comes from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which promotes human rights in the workplace.  Yes, you there in Wisconsin, you have human rights in the workplace. Don't give up your hard won human rights for a Tea Party backed Governor: give up generations of human rights for a handful of conservative nutters!

Please attend the upcoming rallies.  Don't give up your right to speak out, your right for a fair deal at work.

Thanks to Steve Hayes (@hayesstw) in South Africa for making me get cracking to write about this.  And thanks to Liz McLellan (@hyperlocavore) in the USA for tweeting all the information she can. 

Blessings,

Miss Eagle 

The Flood #Levy and Passing the National Hat : #OneNation influence : #Coal seam #gas #fracking

Tweet

Picture from here

As 2010 drew to a close, I found myself mentally exhausted. So many battles. The irrigators taking over the Murray Darling Basin debate as if no other Australians mattered. A change of government in Victoria leading to feelings of where-to-from-here; Victorian water policy being handed over to the National Party as their fiefdom and giving them first dibs on revenge and pay-back.

Then along came real life, changed circumstances, and a change of habitat...all involving real time.

How then to find my way back to the blog?  So much has happened: floods, cyclones, more floods, bushfires, Arab revolts.  Life seems to go on like one long soap...nothing to get into a lather over.  My blog has to come out of a certain passion.  There has to be something to ignite the flame.  I have been watching and waiting. I have been in a receptive state awaiting the spark of ignition and recognition...