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From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

The rooster watches over the flock protectively and often participates in a hen’s egg-laying ritual, an extremely important and private part of her life. Free range” does not solve the problem of painful debeaking, enormously oversized flocks or the unnatural isolation of the birds from other sexes and age groups.

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Meat, Cancer, and the Cumulative Case for Ethical Vegetarianism

Animal Ethics

In addition, the animals are subjected to excruciating mutilations – including branding, dehorning, debeaking, tooth pulling, tail docking, and castration – all performed without anesthesia. The noxious fumes from the accumulated urine and feces cause lung problems in many of the animals.