: Whatcha, Steve speaking,
: I hang live chickens at Sun Valley poultry,
: I feel that our hangers too poorl.y paid for the amount we are paid for the rate that we have to take care of the birds in our care.
I have heard the horrer stories about mass produced poultry, particularly chicken. I am not happy with the workers' conditions or how the birds are treated. In fact I raised the question of poultry processing conditions in Arkansas before the 1992 election, a theme that the Wall Street Journal did not pick up on until the next year.
Bill Clinton was elected and reelected in part by Tyson's and the other poultries dollars.
But I would like to point out one thing. As awful as it is, mass produced chicken has lowered the price so that most can afford it. In the Midwestern part of this country (Chicago to Pittsburgh in particular) we have a concept called "City Chicken". Nothing to do with pigeons, it was a Depression era expediency developed when chicken was unaffordable. It is pork, or in the past it was veal or a pork and veal combo. seasoned to taste like chicken with a (decorative) wooden stick added to simulate a chicken leg.
It is still available in this area (s.e. Michigan) at supermarkets and restaurants. There are some people still attached to it, I've had it just for the fun of it. I saw a request for it in the Miami (FL) Herald in 1992, and responded accordingly.
We would probably be still be eating it in lieu of chicken had not the price of chicken collapsed after World War II.
I prefer the methods of Bell and Evans, formerly of Bellmawr, South Jersey and modern day descendents of the honorable pioneer Quaker Bell family of the colonial days), South Jersey and now of LEbanon County, Pa. Chickens are raised humanely and fed well, and in return provide a particularly delicious meat that I am willing to pay more for than the mass produced Tyson's or Purdue. (Those stories about old man Frank Perdue using his friends in the Mafia to "settle" some labor problems won't go away).
None.
