Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Rescued Chickens From Factory Farm
The rescue birds will get to spend the rest of their days clucking, foraging, and performing natural types of behaviour in the safety of "Archie's Chick Inn".
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle introduced their rescue chickens to the world during their hotly anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The couple invited Winfrey to their new home in California - where they moved last summer after stepping away from the Royal Family - to meet their one year old son, Archie, their two rescue dogs, and their small flock of rescue chickens.
“I just love rescuing,” Markle said, as she and Oprah stood outside the chicken’s new home. The rescue birds will get to spend the rest of their lives clucking, foraging, and performing natural types of behaviour in the safety of their wooden coop and a small, red house affectionately named "Archie's Chick Inn".
During the interview, Meghan and Harry explained that their decision to leave the royal family came due to relentless bullying by tabloid newspapers, and the continued atmosphere of racial hostility within the Palace. Markle disclosed that someone within the Royal Family had expressed concerns about how dark the skin tone her son Archie would be while she was pregnant.
Speaking about their new life in the States, Markle described it in one word: “Peace”, and said that it will allow them to get “back down to the basics” and “live authentically.”
Life for Chickens on Factory Farms
When it comes to chickens raised for their meat and eggs, most of them spend their entire lives suffering on factory farms, where they are kept in dark, cramped, and disease-ridden conditions.
Nearly 9 billion chickens are raised and killed for meat each year in the U.S. alone. To meet demand and lower production costs, the birds are often genetically selected and dosed with growth-promoting drugs. This results in crippling skeletal problems, heart attacks, and organ failure. When chickens reach “slaughter-weight” - which is usually at about 6 weeks old - they’re sent to the slaughterhouse where their throats are slit.
And around 376 million hens are raised in the U.S. for their eggs. Most spend their lives in cramped battery cages, where they are unable to even spread their wings. When their egg production wanes, their exhausted bodies are sent to the slaughterhouse.
Chickens are inquisitive, complex animals who enjoy the company of others. They love to spend their days playing, flapping their wings, taking dust baths, roosting, and sunbathing.
If you’re ready to try some delicious plant-protein instead of chicken meat, check out our guide to the tastiest plant-based meat.
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The footage was reportedly recorded at Marshall BioResources in North Rose, New York, where up to 22,000 dogs - mostly beagles - are being bred for animal experimentation.