Veterinarians Speak Out Against Using Chickens As Kaporos

Dr. Amir Kashiv, who reviewed our videos, stated:
The wings of the “modern industrial” chicken aren't strong enough to support its body and therefore it is largely flightless. In broiler chickens, even the legs can hardly carry the intentionally bred-for-increased-bulk body, resulting in very common lameness problems. Lifting the bird by its wings places an unnatural tension on ligaments, tendons and bones. Swinging the bird in the air can cause dislocations,tears, ruptures and broken bones. The manner in which chickens are handled during the ritual of Kaporos is, in my view, painful and harmful and thus inhumane.
        Dr. Amir Kashiv MRCVS
        (Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons)

Dr. Ian Duncan, Professor Emeritus of Poultry Science at the University of Guelph in Ontario, wrote that “holding a domestic fowl with the wings pinned back as shown will be painful. It will be extremely painful if the bird is held in this position for some minutes.”

Dr. Nedim Buyukmihci, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, observed that “the manner in which the man is holding the chicken, with the wings pulled back, puts the chicken at risk for ligament and tendon injury, possibly even bone fracture.”