This adds up to a loss of 12 to 18 per cent of the original flock by the end of the first year in cages. Factory farmed animals are vulnerable to less obvious hazards also. Young chicks die of thirst because they do not learn to drink from nipple type watering devices. They can starve to death because of debeaking. Caged birds often develop foot and leg problems as a result of months of standing on a wire mesh which is efficient for collection of droppings, but a totally unsuitable perch for the bird.
Broilers also develop leg problems because of the inhumane breeding to maximise meat production.
A modem broiler reaches its slaughter weight in just 42 days, whidi is twice and fast as it used to be. Birds legs are unable to support their massive bodies. The muscle grows fast because of growth promoting drugs, but the legs do not keep pace with the rest of the body. This abnormal growth also creates stress for the cardiovascular system. Many birds develop congestive heart failure, which causes ascites - a pooling of body fluids in the abdomen.