One particularly warm evening last summer, I walked into my backyard to relax and enjoy some fresh air. Instead, I was greeted by the loud shriek of a chicken. We had an uninvited guest in our vegetable garden. Unfortunately, such chicken invasions are a common occurrence in many areas of Stockton, California. Throughout the United States, municipalities small and large are debating whether or not they should enact residential livestock ordinances, specifically in regards to poultry. Considering that they are often a public nuisance and pose a health risk, local officials should consider restricting the private ownership of chickens in heavily populated urban areas. While there are many reasons a person may wish to raise their own chickens, not everyone in their neighborhood may support the idea. Chickens frequently make noises, which may disturb those with sensitive hearing. Also, negligent practices can lead to odor problems. This is especially a concern to those in areas of warmer climates, such as the Central Valley where temperatures often reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Ordinances are already in effect in most cities for dogs and other pets. Whether they require owners to obtain licenses or serve to restrict the general noise level in an area, these laws are usually in place for the protection of both the animals and the humans that live among them. It seems only fair that if chickens are considered acceptable pets in an area, current laws should be amended to include them or new, similar protections should be put in place. Recent concerns regarding the risks of Avian flu and other exotic diseases prompted some local poultry farmers to adopt strict biosecurity protocols in order to keep their birds safe. ... ... middle of paper ... ... 2009 . 4. Hawkins, Sharon. Private conversation. San Joaquin County Agricultural Commissioner's Office. Stockton, CA. 30 Nov. 2009. 5. “Health Risks Associated with Raising Chickens.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 02 Dec. 2009 . 6. MacDonald, G. Jeffrey. "Chickens come home to roost in backyards around the USA." USA Today. 10 Nov. 2009. 02 Dec. 2009 . 7. Pals, Bart. "Helping Poultry Breeders Raise Birds in an Urban Area." American Poultry Association. 02 Dec. 2009 . 8. Skinner, Katy. "Articles about chickens in the city." The City Chicken. 02 Dec. 2009 .
Reducing the risk of salmonellosis from these farms would include food safety practices such as: washing eggs and hands thoroughly, making sure that the farm is kept in good condition, feeding the chickens good food, and using fresh water
If you’re a pit bull owner in Sioux City, Iowa, you are faced with certain ordinances that make it more difficult to own and keep your dog. This is Sioux City’s attempt to keep its citizens’ safe and prevent the abuse and harm of the pitbull. The city is trying to promote safety and animal advocacy. This ordinance is not effective because it punishes the animal and not the owner; it also does not take into account the animals individual personality. Legislators should create laws that consider all dogs based on their individual behavior and hold owner accountable for their animals.
Broiler chickens, luckily for them, only live up to 7 weeks old until they are big enough to be slaughtered. Their life starts out in incubator trays with hundreds and thousands of other chicks without enough head room to stand up, and not enough room to take 2 tiny steps. So for the first week of their lives it goes from cramp trays, to cramp boxes, to getting dumped onto the filthy floors of t...
"MIT Finds Key To Avian Flu In Humans." Space Daily 7 Jan. 2008. General OneFile. Web. 18
Philpott, Tom. “How Farm Policy Affects Us All.” Mother Earth News. 01 Jun 2007. 80. 21 Feb 2008.
In the November 2008 General Election, citizens of the state of California will be asked to consider many issues affecting the state as a whole. Out of the many propositions to be decided upon, Proposition Two has become one of particular interest. Currently, forty million animals are being raised on California farms for production of milk, dairy, cattle, and chickens: given these very large numbers and increased consumer awareness of current management practice, there has been an increase in concern for ethical treatment and welfare of livestock within the public. Proposition Two challenges standards of confinement for livestock, specifically: veal crates, battery cages and gestation crates. Veal crates are restricted areas in which calves (young domestic cattle) are reared for slaughter. Battery cages are enclosures in which multiple female chickens are housed to lay their eggs, and similar to veal and battery cages, gestation crates are areas of restricted space in which female pigs are housed during periods of pregnancy. If passed, Proposition Two would require all farming operations as of January 1, 2015 to house these farm animals in areas where they are able to extend their wings or limbs to full potential1.
In the passage, “Prairie Dogs: A Threatened Species or Public Nuisance?” Roberta Barbalace insists, “Their expansion encroaches upon the grazing land, golf courses, city parks and even airport runways.” This reveals how their population are thriving, and how it’s difficult to keep them under control. As their population extends, we will encounter more conflicts with prairie dogs. Additionally, Seth Magle discovered that “prairie dogs lived in communities on average five times more crowded than rural colonies”. This furthering the fact that as prairie dogs thrive, there will be many more problems to face. Prairie dogs population will keep exploding, causing prairie dogs to get in our
Over the past fifteen years H5N1 influenza (also known as Avian Flu or Bird Flu) has become a common topic of speculation and debate worldwide, causing quite a bit of confusion about its possible impacts on our society. At this point in time it is generally recognized by the international medical community that Avian Flu is bound to become a pandemic, most likely within the next ten years. Research on Avian Flu and its effects have led many scholars to make grave predictions of major global turmoil while a small portion of medical scientists remain skeptical, believing we will have enough time to thoroughly prepare for the outbreak. The one thing that nearly all health professionals seem to agree upon is that the avian flu will surely have a large impact on the development of humankind. To truly understand the threat of this disease and what we must do to prepare for it, we need to look at the issue from multiple angles and consider what the spread of a disease so lethal and so prone to mutation would mean for our daily lives, health professionals, laws and government procedures, and of course the continuation of the human race.
The Marion County Board of Commissioners have been working with community leaders and the Marion County Animal Services department to develop a plan to help eliminate the problems. The local animal control ordinances have been evaluated and revised in hopes of preventing future problems before they develop. The first step was to create an annual “dangerous canine breed” registration fee of $500 for local dog owners that would discourage ownership of dangerous breeds by county residents. Marion County Commissioner Jim Payton stated that, “there is no reason for the public to be put at risk by these animals. We need to make it as stringent as we possibly can to protect the public." (Thompson, “County drops ‘1 free kill’”).
You also aren’t allowed to hunt whales in Kansas. That law may sound like it makes sense, right? But, Kansas is slapped in the middle of the U.S. And there are no oceans in the middle of the U.S. Yeah, it’s weird. You also aren’t allowed to use mules to hunt ducks. Really!? According to idiotlaws.com, “No dead animals or garbage may be hauled across Kansas Avenue.” Also, it is against the law to scream,
Hirsch, Veronica. "Legal Protections of the Domestic Chicken in the United States and Europe." . N.p., 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 13 May 2014. .
As for birds, over 95percent of U.S. land animals killed for food are birds, yet there are no Federal law requiring they be handled humanely.[Poultry slaughter is done with neck-cutting machines that routinely miss, slicing open the chicken’s wing, face, and other body parts. Numerous birds enter the scalding tanks for feather removal while fully conscious]. There should be some kind of Federal regulations that mandate m...
KUMAMOTO JAPAN: Two Japanese chicken farms had to put down 112,000 chickens because of a new outbreak of bird flu. While there hasn’t been any transmission between birds and humans in Japan ever, the Avian Influenza Type A virus is still being handled with significant care to avoid any possibility of human harm. A Japanese Food Safety Commission publishing noted that avian flu was quickly broken down by stomach acid so there wouldn’t be foreseeable harm to any people if they ingested some of the contaminated chicken or their eggs. As a further precaution, authorities are banning the transportation of chickens and eggs within the affected areas. Additionally, vehicles are being inspected and disinfected near the chicken farms. These restrictions are posing financial problems for the farm owners who rely on steady sales to keep operating—the trade embargo and loss of a significant amount of livestock can be troublesome.
Tom Regan, “The Case for Animal Rights,” in In Defense of Animals, ed. Peter Singer (Oxford: Blackwell, 1985), 21. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistical Services, Livestock Slaughter. 2005 Summary, March 2006: USDA, NASS, Poultry Slaughter: 2005
Avian Influenza is also known as the bird flu. The deadly form was first discovered in Italy in 1878. It is a Type A virus that occurs among wild aquatic birds and can infest domestic poultry and other birds and animal species. Although the virus does not normally infect human beings, there have been rare cases where humans have been infected with the virus. The disease is spread by contact with an infected bird’s feces, or secretion from its nose, mouth, or eyes. (Commission)