Chicken Farming Matrix

Architect Student Proposes Matrix for Chickens

25
by lindastcyr February 16, 2012
Categories: Animals, Causes.
Photo: Andre Ford

Factory farmed chickens designated for dinner plates may have a very new lifestyle if an architecture student at Royal College of Art, André Ford, has his way. Ford wants to revamp the entire life of a factory-raised chicken by turning to vertical chicken farms. These Matrix-like structures would be able to raise thousands of poultry by packing 1,000 lobotomized chickens onto each ‘leaf’ of the structure.

Ford feels his idea would end the uncomfortable living conditions of factory-raised birds and meet the demands of an ever-growing demand for poultry.

He claims his idea is one of pragmatism and that it would be more widely accepted if “we stopped using the term ‘animal’ when referring to the precursor of the meat that ends up on our plates. Animals are things we keep in our homes and watch on David Attenborough programs. ‘Animals’ bred for consumption are crops and agricultural products like an other. We do not, and cannot, provide adequate welfare for these agricultural products and therefore welfare should be removed entirely.”

The structure that Ford proposes would lobotomize chickens by removing the cerebal cortex and the chickens feet, so that more could be packed on to each ‘leaf’. The structure would also provide food, water and air to the living chickens via an arterial network that would remove excreta in the same manner.

Currenly factory-raised broiler chickens are kept in cramped, close quarters and are selectively bred and genetically altered to produce bigger thighs and breasts. 6 billion chickens a year are slaughtered for the broiler chicken industry. The chickens bred in factory farms live approximately seven weeks before they are slaughtered at the ideal market weight of 3 ½ lbs.

Ford sees his idea of lobotomizing chickens and raising them in a Matrix-like structure as one that is beneficial to the industry and to the birds because it would make the bird’s already doomed existence a much easier one. His original idea was not to lobotomize the chickens but to remove the heads of the birds entirely for the sake of desensitizing the birds. However that would affect the rest of the birds body functionality in growing big enough to be purchased for someone’s dinner.

About lindastcyr

Linda St.Cyr is a writer, blogger, activist, and short story author. When she isn’t writing or raising her kids with her life partner, she is busy being vocal about feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and bringing attention to human rights violations all over the world.

View all posts by lindastcyr →
  • http://twitter.com/metalali Mehr Ali

    this sounds dreadful.

  • http://twitter.com/Bornforsunrise Emily Wilson

    I think this is probably the most horrifying thing I have read all day. I will never understand some people. How are cows, chickens, and turkey not animals?! This is not the life for a chicken or any animal. I despise what our society does to animals for convenience and money reasons. I can’t believe they are considering removing the cerebral cortex and feet. Chickens are living, breathing, feeling beings just like us! I would like to ask the architect if he would like to live like this.

  • http://www.facebook.com/aypathy ‘Zac Emile Brinz

    A beautiful example of progress. The people who are “horrified” by this sort of thing are working off of emotional reasoning that just isn’t valid and that we can’t afford to indulge anymore when we have populations to feed.

    • Johnnyzen2002

      Try eating plants….duh!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001798846293 Catalina Nae

    WTF!!!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001798846293 Catalina Nae

    WTF!!!!!!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Adele-Walker/671091207 Adele Walker

    Can we shoot him in the head? ‘Humans’ bred for idiocy are not real people like any other. We do not, and cannot, assent to their pathetically lame ideas and therefore we should shoot them in the head.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1386827760 Nancy Dinsmore

    What a sicko! How is this compassionate?

  • Irismead

    Some humans with the “my life is the only one that matters” attitude are very scary. This is a horrifying proposition, but, with some intellect and no compassion or moral guidance, entirely possible.

  • Evie Torr

    I propose matrix for this guy and let’s not call him human because clearly he isn’t.

  • Treaclecorrosion

    While this is horrifying, it is not very different from current poultry industry practices that are supported by your chicken & turkey eating habits today. Don’t like is vision of he future? Stop ating chicken today.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1462671240 Milan Guman

    i’d like to know how many of you “compassioners” had freakin mcdonalds today. srsly, do you have any idea what poultry is treated like nowadays? i think this idea is good. they don’t have to go through all this suffering just to be hung up by their legs and get electrocuted in the end like it’s done in the factories today. think about it when you eat your McChicken next time..

  • http://animalplace.tumblr.com/ Marji

    A truly more ethical alternative, though, might be the consideration of growing plants vertically versus mutilating sentient, intelligent, emotional beings…don’t you think?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=41504492 Jennifer Koch

    This is sickening. We shouldn’t think of meat products as animals… so this is the solution to the violence and unethical behavior?! How about becoming compassionate human beings and STOP eating them. It removes ALL guilt and ill feelings.

  • http://www.facebook.com/AntiFurSociety Fluffy Dasha

    Are we all dead walking amongst demons already? This is such a diabolical excuse to keep abusing other species, it is really scary. Why not put his energy into creating laboratory meat from cells for the flesh eating humans who will not go vegetarian? This planet is going out of control, I hope the end of it is very close…it’s disgusting.

  • Anonymous

    There’s a much simpler way to sidestep the problems arising from so-called ‘animal crops’ Andre…..go Vegan. But first get urgent psychiatric help because clearly you are quite quite mad !

  • Anonymous

    Ever heard the expression, two wrongs dont make a right ?

  • Marlo

    I agree with what noone said. Y’all are reacting to it as if it’s a serious proposal. And you’re reacting just like the artist wants you to. I think the artist wants us to feel disgusted and connect that disgust to the current way we treat agricultural animals.

  • Johnnyzen2002

    Try eating plants. Meat stinks, period.

  • Johnnyzen2002

    MAny are horrified that write here. Are they vegan? That is the solution. Eat a whole plant based diet,; problem solved. It is not rocked science.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/TVEYKALG2MX3VGO7UONNAYHPFQ hihihihihihihihi

      Don’t worry it’s not grammar class either.

  • Crabs

    Andre Ford you are a total moron to even consider such a barbaric activity. You are either inhuman or you have had half your brain removed — you are one stupid irresponsible fool

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/TVEYKALG2MX3VGO7UONNAYHPFQ hihihihihihihihi

    Add me to the souls that don’t seem to understand. So what you are saying is, end their suffering by lobotomizing them? Hey just a small fact Lobotomies don’t restrict pain. It only strips away cognitive thought….. We’ve already undermined natural order and original Bio-procedure by introducing Genetically Modified proteins into animal, plant, and fish DN.A.. We should learn that if you disrupt matter at a molecular level you get radiation. That is why most man-made elements on the Table are radioactive. They bond together excessive charges to create the desired substance. It’s unnatural. It would be the accumulative of combining two male sperm together with an egg and force producing one organism that both sperm contribute and not dominate. Freakish right? Genetic Modification is no different.

  • Bob

    Referring to animals as agriculture is one of the most idiotic things I’ve ever heard. And of course animals can be things that are neither in our houses nor are seen on TV. The chicken matrix is one of the most grotesque and unnatural things I have ever seen.

katy perry
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