• Chicken production on Delmarva has declined over the past five years, in part because it can no longer treat the environment as a toxic waste dump for millions of dead birds and tons of manure without restraint.

• “Poultry today are even more susceptible to viruses and diseases,” according to University of Maryland researchers, because of how they are raised. “As fast as scientists and researchers act to develop vaccines . . . the viruses counteract and reemerge in new, more virulent strains.” (Maryland Research Spring 2002)

• During their 42-47 days of life, chickens live in filthy litter, toxic ammonia, and poisonous Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria. A farmer’s neighbor states: “The chickens are raised in conditions that should only be in nightmares or grade B movies. They cram so many chickens into those tunnel houses and just give them that small amount of light so that at 5 weeks the birds can hardly stand because their legs are so weak and with no natural light or exercise their joints are too soft to carry the weight.”

• Q: Isn’t there a ban on feeding potentially infectious Mad Cow ingredients to cows?

  A: Yes, but those same animals are fed to chickens and chickens are fed back to cows, so a US cow could consume infected brain and spinal tissue by eating rendered chickens and contaminated chicken litter, which are part of the unwholesome diet of both cattle and chickens.

• Q: Are chickens who were sick with airsacculitis (an E. coli-based pneumonia-like infection in which pockets of pus form in various parts of the body) sold to consumers?

A: Yes. All the time.

• Q: Do chickens with diseases, tumors, feathers, sores, scabs, bruises and smeared with potentially deadly digestive contents get turned into chicken nuggets and other chicken products?

A: Yes. All the time.

• Q : What do the chickens do in the slaughterhouse?

A: They try everything in their power to get away from the killing machine and to get away from you. They look at you, they open their mouths. They’ve been paralyzed with electric shocks so their muscles don’t work, but their eyes do, and you can tell by them looking at you, they’re scared to death. (former Tyson slaughterhouse worker.)