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Farmer Rejects 'Cannibalism' Claims After Feeding Chickens Their Own Eggs


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A Texas farmer has laughed off accusations of encouraging cannibalism after a video of her feeding chickens leftover eggs went viral on TikTok.

Farming is big business in the U.S., with an estimated 2 million farms across the country, according to Statista. It also has an important role in the economy. In 2022, agriculture, food and related industries contributed roughly $1.420 trillion to gross domestic product, or 5.5 percent, and provided 10.4 percent of national employment.

Michelle Wilson, who runs Rusted Waters Farm in Henderson, Texas, along with her husband, said there is a need to "educate" people about the realities of farm life. That's how she first got into posting videos to TikTok. "My husband mentioned we should do more videos about the everyday things we do around the farm," she told Newsweek.

Wilson grew up in Wyoming, where farming and ranching is the state's main industry, and knows what it takes to make it work. "It's a 24/7 commitment," she said. "My husband starts the morning chores about 6 a.m. We get to bed at about 11 p.m."

Wilson stresses that Rusted Waters Farm is not a big operation. "We get about 200 eggs per week. We're not a large producer. We keep our small farm mainly to feed our family and be able to sell fresh eggs and produce to our local community," she said.

However, this little farm ended up making some pretty big waves on social media after Wilson posted a video showing how they often mash up any excess eggs they have before cooking and serve them to their chickens.

Chickens being fed leftover eggs.
Farm chickens are fed leftover eggs, as seen a TikTok video from a farm in Texas. The couple who run the farm regularly post videos about their work. Rusted Waters Farm

"We often feed back the extra eggs to our chickens as a nutrient-rich treat," she said.

But while that may be an ordinary practice on Rusted Waters Farm, it is seen as something more sinister by some users on TikTok.

Before this clip, the account's most popular post had garnered just under 27,000 views. Now, the clip of Wilson feeding the cooked eggs to her chickens has been watched 6.2 million times, with many viewers up in arms over what they were seeing.

"Imagine someone feeding you your own kids," one user wrote. Another suggested the practice was "comparable to feeding a woman their used tampon what makes it weird for me."

"So the chickens are eating their young?" a third asked. A fourth said: "Ma'am, did you just feed chickens their own almost babies."

A fifth user pondered: "Is it not normal for me to have known chickens are known to be cannibalistic?"

Wilson could not believe the reaction to what is a normal practice that is recommended by farming resources online.

"I was absolutely shocked that some people were almost offended by it," she said. "I think there is a high level of disconnect that people have about life on a farm and where our food comes from.

"Chickens are like little Velociraptors and will eat pretty much anything. They're omnivores, and I'm finding out there are a lot of people who didn't know that."

Though the video caused some outrage among the less informed, Wilson has been responding to some of the inaccurate claims in the video's comments section.

"I think it is very important to educate people," she said. "There were lots of comments talking about feeding them their own babies and cannibalism. Chickens aren't mammals and don't live birth. The yolk of an egg is actually what feeds hatchlings the first few days of life."

The response has not put her off from continuing to post on TikTok and offer some insights about life on a farm.

"I'm also an animal lover, and I want to raise all the animals," she said. "Having a farm gives me a happy, peaceful place to come home to. Even if it's a lot of work."

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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