Hayom shiva yamim, shehaym shavua echad baomer

There's a popular misconception that animals can't be treated too badly because their mistreatment would be illegal. But for animals raised for food, just about anything goes. The only federal law concerning animal welfare in the slaughter process does not protect birds, who make up about 95 percent of the animals killed for food in this country each year. No federal law regulates how farmed animals should be treated while they are being raised. More than half the states in the U.S. have anti-cruelty laws that do not apply to farming practices that are "accepted," "common," "customary," or "normal," and birds are often exempt from protection under these state laws as well.