The chicks arrive in plastic boxes stacked inside a truck. They are two days old. They weigh about 50 grams.

Boxes full of chicks are emptied at the farm.

The floor is full of chicks. More than 10,000 start fattening.

Chicken meat is one of the most consumed meats worldwide. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that 133 million tons of "white meat" were consumed worldwide in 2021.

Most so-called "broiler" chickens only live for several weeks before they are slaughtered. 

Due to genetic and breeding selection, these animals grow so fast that their small legs barely support the weight of their bodies, suffering injuries and deformities. They are also susceptible to many other health problems, such as skeletal dysfunction and malformation, heart and lung conditions, dermatitis or eye injuries due to toxic gases and poor ventilation.

When you go inside a chicken farm several times, you can witness the suffering they undergo from the time they are installed in the sheds, when they are only a few days old, until they are sent to the slaughterhouse. A short and agonizing life followed by an equally unjust death.

Empty boxes are removed to make room for the full ones.

Some chicks are crushed to death on the day of arrival.

The shed houses 10,000 chicks, with a temperature of 33 degrees Celsius.

The first few days they stay together. They stick their bodies against each other. Keeping warm is vital.

Many die every day. Sack full of dead chicks.

Feeder.

In 10 days they are almost three times their size.

We may think that there are ways to reduce the suffering of these animals during their exploitation, but is this what we really need to change? We know that the consumption of animals is totally unnecessary. So is it ethically acceptable to exploit and end the life of someone who wants to live, simply because we feel like it?

Ariadna Creus documented the lives of chickens used for consumption on a farm in Huesca. It took as long as their lives lasted: 45 days.

Helena Rivera (AV editorial team)

They often get so fat that their legs cannot bear the weight of their bodies.

Mortality is daily. They suffer heart attacks because of the abrupt growth.

Chickens seeking the warmth of the sun.

4 week old chicks.

Woman checking the farm's feeding troughs.

When the sixth week arrives, several chicks are weighed. They make the average to know how many grams they are. They should weigh approximately 2500 gr. but depending on the market demand they could fatten them 2 weeks more until they reach 2800-3000 gr.

One night the truck arrives, they have the desired weight.

Groups of individuals quietly corner the chicks to put them in cages. It is advisable not to scare them because they are prone to heart attacks.

The trucks will take them to the slaughterhouse.

A chicken looks at me. I say goodbye to her. I have watched them grow for 2 months.

The next day the farm is empty. Traces of feathers and a few carcasses remain.

Work by Ariadna Creus.

Published in February 2022