Debeaking of Baby Chicks Turned Me Vegan

by David Bowen
(West Hollywood, CA)

In 1985, I worked in a mailroom for a large company. A PETA pamphlet came in the mail and before I sent it to the recipient, I thumbed through it. I remember seeing a photo of a baby chick whose beak had been seared off so that it wouldn't peck the other chicks. It appeared that this was done to all the chicks. I couldn't get the image of an innocent being maimed out of my mind and the idea that this was currently going on all the time. I never ate meat again.

Editor's Note:

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. The systematic debeaking of baby chicks is incredibly disturbing and I can certainly see why it made such a huge impact on your memory. There are so many horrible things done to chickens (as well as every other farm animal) as well, including detoeing, wing clipping, and all male chicks born of laying hens are simply thrown away.

Having enough empathy to associate these abuses to animals with domestic animals that we keep as pets can be enough to change someone vegan and then keep them that way forever. I, too, have certain pictures burned in my head from some of the horrific treatment of animals used for food and those drive me daily.

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