I'm aware this thread is getting close to 3 years old, so I'm not going to say anything to the original poster, or anyone on the first several pages.
Which is a disappointment, because I wanted to express my disagreement with the way this whole thread has been structured.
The title would lead one to believe that the thread is an intelligent inquiry about whether eating meat is ethically appropriate, but instead the original poster did nothing but talk about the grotesquenesses of the actual slaughtering of chickens.
So, to that effect, I'm going to give my input on both subjects: eating meat and commercially slaughtered animals.

Eating Meat:
It's natural. Whether humans were originally herbivores, or whether we evolved into an omnivorous state over time from eating meat is completely irrelevant. The fact that carnivores exist in nature means that eating the meat of another animal is a natural thing. And something done to sustain life. At the same time, back to the possibility that humans have only evolved into omnivores, no matter how we came about to be a meat eating animal, we -are- a meat eating animal. Making it natural for us to do the same.
I'm sure we aren't the only creature on the planet whose diet has changed over the course of evolution.
DISCLAIMER: The majority of my statements in the above paragraph are only to entertain the Original Poster's (I think it was his) theory that humans may have evolved into Omnivores.

Slaughtering Animals:
This opinion is much more short and concise. This is how I see it. Whether I agree with the methods used for mass slaughtering animals, it happens. And will continue to happen until society completely weeds out these people. Which will likely happen eventually. People feeling sick about how their food is killed have already caused the emergence of chickens and other animals are being raised free range and out in fields instead of in small cages. Eventually, I imagine all meat will come from naturally raised animals, as society will have put enough pressure on the suppliers to treat the animals in a humane way ("Humane Way" made me crack up a little bit.)
That's assuming that the government doesn't cut in somewhere and pass a law against raising animals in small, dark cages to be slaughtered.

But as it is, no matter how heartless my opinion may seem, I just don't get that heartsick over thinking about how my food was prepared.
Free range, naturally raised or pumped full of chemicals, hung upside down and plucked alive with a slit throat doesn't really matter to me.
It's food.
The animal has already died by the time it gets into my house. Or even by the time it gets into the store. And if I refuse to eat it at that point, it might just go to waste. Then that chicken died 100% in vain.

Surely none of you will actually take my last comment as a serious argument. I'll be thoroughly displeased with anyone who does.

Thanks to animal rights groups, issues like that have reduced over the past few years. I believe it's illegal now in Australia and the U.S (and probably Canada, but I'm not too sure).
We have an unfair advantage over animals because of our minds and the way our hands are structured. I guess the only way things like that actually stop is if it's discovered and action has taken place due to sincerity...In the animal kingdom, though, that'd be a weakness.

Funny how nature works.

When I first read the title I assumed it would be a serious topic, but as I read thru I realized it was more of a personal dilema. If you are sicken by the way that meat is obtained and have decided to live a vegetarian life, fine I can respect that, but hey respect me I have not chosen to do the same. I love meat, I have seen how its obtained, I know its natural to consume meat. Further, someone used quite a saying associating homocide with eating meat. Well, the fact that my desire for a good sorloin steak is not going to drive to kill someone.

Facts and more Facts
Is Eating Meat Morally Correct?

Replying to Neutrality

So, proteins are vitamins now? Not a vegetarian myself (I eat chicken and fish), but it seems like the vegetarians on this forum have a better knowledge of nutrition than the carnivores.

A well planned vegetarian diet can give you more than enough protein. Also, the fact that we have four bicuspids does not mean that we are genetically meat eaters (gorillas have the same structure and eat only veggies).

Please people, eat what you want to eat, but get your facts straight...

God put animals on this planet for us to eat, yet of course we cannot abuse that privilege by operating "horror-movie" slaughter houses..there is nothing wrong with eating meat it is natural and healthy and morally pleasing knowing you are eating the food God gave you. Yet killing animals with machines in mass quantities is not right..the meat industry should be smaller and more locally oriented.

It's ok for me; but you could try mushrooms too

1. Yes humans can eat meat of the animal he/she like exactly:
---As the Whale who we defend, eat tons of small fish.
---As the lion and other animal in forest eat another animal to survive.
---As the nice cats do to the birds.
---As your dog eat meat or caned meet.
---As we feed the tigers, lions, Shitas, ...in the zoo by meet.
etc. IT IS LIFE and our features. Some animals eat plants, some eat meat and some eat both.


2. If you say why we don't eat only plants. Then why you consider plants can be eaten and not the animal. Is that because plants breath differently and blood presure there replace with other pressure?

3. The chicken which you saw in battery chicken will not exist at all if it is not planned to be eaten. You don't know how they can survive in wilkdness and how much number?. I am also wondering why the chicken don't lay on their eggs as the other birds do[ erxcept in children stories]. I rember my grandma presented me a couble of Pigeon when we were visited her one day . They became my toys that time when there wern't toys as today. I put them in big cage and put in side a big 4 galon tin box to lay in. They lay two tiny egs every month . They produced 3 couples of birds who make 4 families with added tin boxes. Then we started to eat their next products. You don't imagine how they tasty and how their meat has benefit. [I missed that ] . Then another visit to our vilages, one of my aunt give me anchicken egg which was of sure will produce chick [i.e was manipulated with the roster there]. I put that chicken egg with the two tiny pigon eggs. The peacful Pigeon [as Jesus said[ didn't reject the strange eggs and they contintinue lay on the the three eggs . Until 3-4 weeks the chick hick from the eggs and I have check who became a strong roster. Of course after months I allowd the family to eat that roster and start doing the same cycle again. From that story I want to say that these chicks are produced by us. We fed and take care of them and in our mind that they will be eaten one day. THAT IS THE LIFE.

4. You speak about the bad conditions to the chicken before slaughter. I don't agree. There are many humans in more bad situation. There are people are living 8 persons in tiny room and many human living in dark and without electricity. There are many people in India has no toilets [WC]. Open your eyes to see what around and not only what in your place. See what Katerina Hurricane showed what in real US. How the NY homeless are living and not the life be shown in Hollywood films.

5. Then what the difference if they will slaughtered anyway and be eaten. What the difference in how.

There seems to be a lot of outrage at Whale farming groups, as well as other practices, especially from vegetarian groups. Whilst I hadnt read most posts to form a opinion yet, it seems the food chain does dictate how mammals and/or living creatures are supposed to survive. For example, small fishes eventually gets eaten by bigger fish and so forth :\