[orthodoc]

It's clear that the chickens are stressed; their beaks are cut off because, in the stress of existing in such cramped space that they can't actually walk or move about, they start attacking each other and some of the 'units of production' (aka profit) are lost. This behavior does not occur in a flock with outdoor access and enough space to move around. It's a behavior that we see in animals more intelligent than chickens, including humans.

Chickens that are raised in wire cages, standing on wire, have another problem; because they can't move around, the wire cuts into their feet and their skin then grows around the wire. They end up stuck in place. When the time comes for slaughter they are ripped off the wire.

We know enough about the natural life cycle of chickens to understand their requirements for a healthy life. We can choose to raise them from birth under artificial light, in impossibly crowded conditions, eating 'food' that no normal chicken would eat. I suppose the question is, if we accept this, are we fulfilling our obligation to another species? Is this how we would want to be treated by a more intelligent species, regardless of how intelligent we think we are? Or do we owe the responsibility of reasonable compassion to species that we happen to be able to control?