Today, chicken is a favorite food for everyone, rich or poor, young or old. Its popularity has increased over the past two or three decades. Actually, these are chicks, which is why their meat is called “chicken.” A mature bird is a cock or a hen.
If we look at the growth of this chicken, we find that a farm-raised chick reaches the size of a full-grown chicken in just one and a half to two months. But why? A native chick, on the other hand, takes about six months to reach the size of a chicken and a full year to fully mature. Farm-raised chicks are given such feed that unnaturally accelerates their growth.
Apart from soybean feed, which may be acceptable, other feed given to these chickens is highly harmful to human health. You may have noticed vehicles arriving at chicken shops in the evening to collect waste, which is then recycled to produce feed.
A while back, a private TV channel presented a documentary on slaughterhouses in Lahore, which also showed the diet of these farm chickens. Much of their feed is made from blood, intestines, and other waste. After eating this feed, these newborn chicks are ready to be served on our plates in just 6 to 8 weeks.
However, the point to note is that, despite growing larger, these chickens cannot run or fly as their bodies are bloated and swollen. In comparison, a native chick, which stays in chick form for 6 to 8 months, is hard to catch and would make even an adult sweat, while a child can easily catch a farm-raised chicken.
Farm-raised chicken has become popular in our society as “high-protein, cholesterol-free meat.” Even doctors recommend it while advising against other meats, despite it being a cause of various health issues. Let’s look at some disadvantages of this “high-protein” white meat:
Obesity, body fat accumulation, especially around the kidneys and liver.
Joint pain and brittle bones.
Early puberty in boys and girls.
A weakened immune system due to consuming steroid-fed chickens, leading to frequent illness.
Weakness in men and irregular menstrual cycles in women.
These are a few prominent disadvantages, some of which appear immediately, while others take time to manifest. The taste and convenience of quick cooking are minor benefits compared to these harms.
The health we gain is directly related to the food we eat. Increase the use of lentils and vegetables in your diet. Among meats, fish, goat, lamb, camel, and finally, beef are beneficial in that order.
Let’s reconsider our diet for ourselves and for the health of future generations, and learn to live in a healthy society. JazakAllah Khair. May Allah grant us wisdom, understanding, and health. Ameen.
