Lone Girl Raises 15,000 Chickens In Indoor Cages (Jan, 1937)
Lone Girl Raises 15,000 Chickens In Indoor Cages
ADOPTING a system invented by Milton H. Arndt, of Trenton, N. J., a 19 year-old Long Island girl, Lillian Swenson, is raising and taking care of 15,000 chickens indoors. The chickens never see or need the sunlight for the necessary vitamin “D” is supplied in their food.
Each chicken has its own wire compartment measuring about one and a half feet square. Compartments are arranged in batteries of 100 chickens each making it possible to house them in a small area. Running water and individual feed troughs are located in each compartment.
Through the use of the indoor compartment system, using cellars, lofts, etc., and feeding the chickens scientifically balanced rations, mortality rate has been cut from 40-60% to less than 1%. So successful is this method that a large New York hotel raises its own chickens on the roof. The flavor of the eggs is said to be superior to those of barnyard chickens.
Where were the animal rights groups?
Comment by 4th guy — October 9, 2007 @ 10:13 am
I wonder what the PETA would think of this…
Comment by Renan "Renan_S2" — October 9, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
It doesn’t say where this was dine but that many chickens in a small space would really smell, er, uh, ‘fowl!’
(sorry)
Comment by Stannous — October 9, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
I’m thinking I wouldn’t want to stay in a hotel with that going on on the roof.
And how the heck could the eggs taste better? I suppose if by “better” they mean “blander”, which is what most Americans of the day seem to have thought…
Comment by Blurgle — October 9, 2007 @ 6:10 pm
Wow! It’s every 19 year-old girl’s dream come true!
Comment by Snud — October 9, 2007 @ 11:41 pm
LOL! How do you think most chickens are raised today in factory farming? Most are stuffed into small cages their whole lives. This is why I buy cage free eggs.
Comment by bloodfart — October 10, 2007 @ 2:15 am
Well….that’s what I meant, bloodfart. Although I don’t know many people (other than “hardcore” college guys who think anything with even a whiff of free-range or organic is a “ripoff”) who buy those eggs.
Comment by Blurgle — October 10, 2007 @ 5:47 pm