Funny Holidays - International Respect for Chickens Day

Modern pharmaceuticals are gradually abandoning testing of medications on animals You can increasingly see the words “Not tested on animals” on cosmetic products The attitude of society towards our smaller brothers changes from year to year: people come out with petitions against the euthanization of stray animals, condemn dog fights and other bloody spectacles In 2005, the United Poultry Industry of the United States decided to establish International Respect for Chickens Day The celebrations, which take place annually on May 4, are aimed against the cruelty of chickens, the use of chickens in scientific experiments and cockfighting Human neglect of these domestic birds, the number of which on the planet exceeds 25 billion individuals, is in no way justified Scientists say that the expression “dumb as a chicken” is not true In fact, the intelligence of these birds is very developed Chickens can count, remember people’s faces, feel empathy for their relatives, think through the consequences of actions, choosing the most profitable option from several possible ones In stressful situations, roosters and hens are able to use their mental potential to a much greater extent than humans The birds were domesticated about 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, and 2,000-3,000 years later they appeared in India and China Initially, people used chickens for religious ceremonies and bird fights, later starting to eat meat and eggs Commercial breeding of roosters and hens began in the 1920s Today, the leaders in this area are the USA, China and Japan Poultry farming, one of the most developed branches of agriculture, employs several million people who are responsible for providing the planet's population with products of animal origin The idea for International Chicken Day came from the American actor, screenwriter and Le Show host Harry Shearer He established the celebration in 2000, choosing May 14 as the date of celebration According to Shearer, the coincidence of International Respect for Chickens Day with Mother's Day was to draw attention to chickens as the embodiment of the ideal of motherhood The American organization United Poultry Concerns decided to draw attention to the unsatisfactory living conditions of laying hens on farms and in factory incubators by moving the holiday to May 4th International Chicken Day is actively supported by animal activists who organize pickets and demonstrations, hand out leaflets and brochures with stories about the benefits of vegetarianism The holiday encourages people to reconsider their relationship with poultry, which has the right to live without pain and suffering in narrow cages with trimmed beaks Therefore, the motto of International Respect for Chickens Day is a statement full of humanism and love for birds: “Chickens are not food Chickens are friends”