NPR sponsored thought:
Why the hell should I care if the chicken I eat was fed vegetarian feed? Chickens aren't herbivores--they're among the most carnivorous of the ground-dwelling pheasant family. One of my earliest childhood memories was seeing a chicken thrashing a snake to death. I've trained chickens using mealworms as treats--they go crazy for them, crickets too.
Not that I want chickens fed ground cow brains or anything, but it doesn't really matter--chickens can't get mad cow disease. Cows should be fed a vegetarian diet, absolutely. Chickens? Pigs? No. Chickens are primarily a way to turn cheap corn into protein. (Likewise, pigs are historically a way to turn garbage into delicious bacon.) I don't mind if the eggs and chicken meat I eat come from chickens who ate some animal-based feed. If I had my druthers, I'd eat chicken meat from chickens that foraged for bugs outdoors, and eggs from my own chickens.
Not that I want chickens fed ground cow brains or anything, but it doesn't really matter--chickens can't get mad cow disease. Cows should be fed a vegetarian diet, absolutely. Chickens? Pigs? No. Chickens are primarily a way to turn cheap corn into protein. (Likewise, pigs are historically a way to turn garbage into delicious bacon.) I don't mind if the eggs and chicken meat I eat come from chickens who ate some animal-based feed. If I had my druthers, I'd eat chicken meat from chickens that foraged for bugs outdoors, and eggs from my own chickens.