“I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government
from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
Thomas Jefferson
(truck transporting poor chickens to the processing plant / Julie Cook / 2017)
My husband and I were driving down a divided four lane state road, linking our town
with another town, when we came upon this “chicken” truck.
And yes, I did happen to have my camera.
As I snapped a picture, my husband asked why I took the picture.
“Because I just can’t stand seeing this” came my response.
Now I make no excuses, I am a true meat and potatoes girl—I always have been.
I love to cook, grill, sauté, fry and bake…. you name it…
and meat usually plays a predominate role in my culinary repertoire.
As I can roast a turkey, chicken or prime rib like nobody’s business….
But….
Whenever I come across a ‘chicken truck’—-I suddenly want to be a vegetarian.
I say that…. but yet according to the Georgia Poultry Federation…
the poultry business is the largest segment of Georgia’s agriculture business.
It accounts for 38 billion dollars of Georgia’s annual economy.
Georgia, along with Arkansas and Alabama, are the top three broiler producers in the nation.
Meaning that when you stop for that chicken sandwich those grammatically
incorrect cows would like for you too eat or when you order a bucket of that
finger licking good fried chicken, chances are the chicken came from Georgia.
And as much as I am a meat and potatoes girl, I am also very much a person who
loves animals….all animals…a person who can’t stand to see nary a one hurt
or be mistreated in any sort of fashion.
So I can honestly tell you that my husband was most grateful that there
wasn’t a red light along that state roadway, stopping that chicken truck
with us behind it…..
because he knows I would have jumped out of our vehicle, running as fast I could
toward that chicken truck, unlatching each and every cage while hollering at the
top of my lungs for each and every last chicken to in turn RUN…..
RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!!!
RUN FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather,
serve one another humbly in love.
Galatians 5:13
cookiecrumbstoliveby 
I love the Chic Fil A ads
I know—I love those cows 🙂
I’ve raised market beef, swine and lambs. Those cows are Holstein a dairy breed but it works
I was going to tell you they were Holstein—dairy cows here in Georgia, but you beat me to it—now those Jersey cows up in Vermont that produce that most luscious butter–with those sweet wet noses really pull at my heartstrings 🙂
Cow of all varieties are delightful creatures 😊
They are!!—
Years ago when our son was little we went on one of those great American family road trips—the ones that has everyone on the front end happy and excited and on the back end has everyone barely speaking and anxiously looking for home 🙂
We struck out from Georgia and were Grand Canyon Bound….
When we crossed over into Texas, we began to notice quite a smell —the weather had been nice so we actually had the windows partially open…on and on we drove as the smell became such that we had to let the windows up—but that wasn’t before we also heard a low rumble that kept growing along with the very distinct odor——it was miles until we we finally came upon what we were smelling and hearing…
Cows for a far as the eye could see—and there in the middle was a literally a small mountain of, well, cow patties with cows standing on top of it—-
Cattle is big business out there in Texas 🙂
There is a feed lot in California called Harris Ranch we called it The Wall of Beef on I-5 and in summer does smell
I liked your post, but my Dad worked in the poultry industry for most of his working life. When I grew up on a turkey farm, the little ones were my buddies, but as they grew up, they were just other turkeys. I guess my brain was compartmentalizing what would eventually be their fate. Our farm was divided into brooder houses for the first year. They were free range afterwards,long before that was a thing.
They would have been my buddies as well Mark— it’s best I was not raised on a farm— or maybe had I been I would be more like both my grandmothers who were raised such—-as each had a deep appreciation for the land, hard work and the thankfulness that both land and animals gave for our sustenance
What are you all talking about?
Chicken and beef come from the super market.
🤗 of course they do and I have some lovely swamp land you might like to purchase 🤪😇
I love the story of Charlotte’s Web for this very reason. Poor Wilbur was destined to become pork chops had not Fern given him so much love and Charlotte provided a way for Wilbur’s freedom. By giving her own life, she saved his. Kind of a deeper message there. What I truly remember about the story is that I rewrote it into a play and performed it a few times with different casts. Each one was a disaster until the last group which actually got the point of it. Then there’s Mel Gibson in his blue face screaming “freedom.” I could go on, but I really like cooked chicken.
🐔🐂🐖— and I might as well confess that I loved the movie Babe and I love sheep and lambs— but I love my grilled lamb chops 😔
Baaaa and oink. I loved Babe too. There;s nothing like talking animals to put life into perspective.
😻
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Love those grammatically incorrect cows! 😉 Perhaps, sometime when my husband and I visit corporate (CFA), I’ll find you… even though, you’ve made me feel a tad guilty for our livelihood today… ha, ha! You’re such a wonderful writer! ❤
Carrollton Lynn, where we live here in Georgia, has the busiest single
chick-fil-a franchise — it is the model store that the others send their employees and managers to study — in fact they’ve just put up another one across town— When I was having to go to Atlanta daily to care for Dad and my stepmother, she loved nothing more than an original Chick-Fil- A sandwich— which I would dutifully go get as dad would ask for a dozen of their chocolate chip cookies which he’d eat in one swoop if the caregivers didn’t stop him—that Atlanta store got to know me and my face quite well and I’d tell them I was actually from Carrollton— they’d ooo and awe with a “we know Carrollton” response as many had been required to visit— the Cathy family has been such a role model to others in how one should truly operate a business —
Yes! I totally agree with you! The Cathy family has had a big impact on our lives! We’ve owned a Chick-fil-A franchise for 15 years… so you can well imagine I’m a fan! I wonder if my husband knows the Carrollton owner/operator? I’ll ask! If we get down that way, perhaps we could meet up there for some delicious lemonade ☺️❤️
that would be great Lynn!!!!—as I drink that lemonade 12 months out of the year 🙂
We get a similar feeling when we pass a pasture with a cow and her calf and realize that the calf is veal on the hoof. Admittedly, that doesn’t stop us from occasionally eating veal marsala, etc.
And that is an equally tasty dish I admit 🙀
Have you read “A Day No Pigs Would Die” Robert Newton Peck?
If you have read it once, you have probably read it again. I don’t generally read a book more than once – but I’m hooked on it.
No and I’ll go look it up now 😊
Chicken farming is by far the biggest agricultural activity around these parts. In fact, it is so common that the smell of the chicken houses when they clean out is referred to as “Palmyra perfume.” I honestly don’t think too much about the chicken trucks anymore.
There are several chicken houses down the road from us and I saw a chicken truck go by the house today 🐔🐓
Supper LOL
and oddly I had a roast chicken tonight : /
Whoah this reminds me of the reality that I can never kill my own chicken…although I like to eat chicken lol.
exactly— 🙂
lol
cluck cluck
I wondered Julie – did the movie ‘Chicken Run’ make it across the pond? https://youtu.be/AEOfT7hUcDs
Yes and I loved it—like wallace and Gromit 🐔🐑🐶