What Saving a Chicken Can Tell Us About Feminism and Disability
The story of Ariel’s rescue and rehabilitation is a perfect example of why veganism, feminism, and disability rights are intertwined
Lifted from a battery cage rusted with neglect was the body of a tortured, dead hen. She had white, ragged feathers. Despite not being able to properly see her face curled beneath her body, it was obvious her beak was cut short. Another victim of the egg industry’s debeaking procedure, a horrific process involving the severing of the animal’s beak — one of the most sensitive parts of a hen’s anatomy.
Then, her side lifted.
Did she just breathe? Another lift and fall. She was alive! Despite being nuzzled by the human’s chest, the hen’s head remained flopped down; her eyes closed. At least she would have dignity and the comfort of warmth before she died.
Once home, far away from the hellish confines of the battery farm, the hen lay still — her eyes had not opened, although she was still breathing.
A drop of water was rubbed on her beak. Her tongue slowly poked out: her first purposeful moment. A syringe appeared, gently dropping water into her beak. She opened one yellow eye.
