Chicken Roping
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Chicken roping is a rodeo style team event that involves a “header” and a “healer” who each try to rope (lasso or lariat) the top and bottom of a chicken and pull the bird in opposite directions simultaneously by their legs and neck. Unparalleled Suffering documented the 9th annual chicken roping event at Dewey’s Place Bar & Grill in Moorcroft, Wyoming that involved children and adults participating in and watching the blatant abuse.
Chickens were brought to Dewey’s Place to be used up to nine times each, according to the exploiter Troy Dysart who “owns” the chickens. One bird at a time is forced into the small ring with two human participants towering over them. According to the rules the bird must first be noosed by the neck in one or two attempts by the header. If the header is successful then the healer must noose the bird around the legs in one or two attempts (up to two attempts if the header was successful on the first attempt). Once noosed around the legs and neck, the bird is then hoisted into the air. The chicken ropers who receive the best time win a belt buckle. Killing a chicken is supposed to result in a $100 fine.
Read Unparalleled Suffering’s report on chicken roping here.
Chicken Roping At Dewey’s Place Bar & Grill
What Do Veterinarians Have To Say About Chicken Roping?
United Poultry Concerns requested expert opinions about birds being used for chicken roping at Dewey’s Place Bar & Grill. The following is what the veterinarians had to say:
From Nedim C Buyukmihci, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis:
Chickens instinctively fear being handled by humans. This is particularly true in the situation surrounding chicken 'roping' during which chickens are chased and captured using ropes (lariats or lassos). I viewed a video of this event and observed the following treatment of the chickens:
1. purposeful shaking and poking of an individual (presumably to agitate them)
2. chasing and lassoing of individuals (especially around the neck)
3. lifting of individuals off the ground, the weight of their bodies supported only by their necks
4. pulling of individuals along the ground by their necks
5. stretching individuals between a lasso around the neck and one around the legs
I consider all the above to be inhumane for the chickens and cruel behaviour on the part of the people. Observations 2-5 represent extreme inhumanity and cruelty. Not only were the chickens frightened and struggling to get away, they were being put at risk of severe injury, particularly of the neck, possibly even resulting death. Some of the chickens lay flat on the ground after being lassoed and hoisted into the air and dropped, no longer struggling. I could not determine if this was due to injury or the tonic immobility seen in chickens who are highly stressed or distressed
Read the full letter here.
Our society desperately needs to foster a greater respect for the other creatures with whom we share – not own – this planet. Chicken 'roping' is antithetical to that aspiration and should be anathema to a civilised society.
Nedim C Buyukmihci, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis
From Dr. George Bates, DVM:
In my judgment, based on what I’ve seen and heard, what is going on here clearly constitutes animal abuse. The chickens used in the event are handled inappropriately and are no doubt traumatized by being dragged and/or suspended by their necks from a rope.
No mammal or bird, not excluding human beings, appreciates having their necks stretched by a rope and their breathing impeded or stopped by compression of the airway. Strangulation, even when it does not result in death, is never an appropriate animal handling practice, most especially when it is done purely for entertainment purposes.
The chickens in the video are clearly frightened and anxious as they are being chased around by adult men and women, and some appear at times to be stunned and unresponsive, possibly due either to hypoxia from being choked or tonic immobility (“scared stiff”). As a veterinarian I am disgusted to see any animal handled in such a cruel fashion let alone one handled that way for the sake of amusement.
Read the full letter here.
Were this to be done at a similar venue to more familiar domesticated animals like dogs, cats, rabbits, or parrots I’m sure the overt cruelty would become apparent to even the patrons at Dewey’s.
George Bates, DVM
“While no animal of any size is built to be pulled in opposite directions, it is particularly obscene to pull in ‘opposite directions’ a small creature weighing just a few pounds. To the chickens at boot level of these ‘ropers,’ it’s like one of us being towered over by a tall tree or building in terms of proportionate sizes. . . . Imagine how scared and defenseless we would be and feel in similar circumstances.”
“What I witnessed in the footage is nauseating entitlement over non-human animals. Loads of ego, superiority, and zero empathy. The chickens are visibly terrified, evidenced by their attempts to escape, vocalizations, and eventual submission by putting their heads on the floor. It makes me very angry to see this, and what typically drives anger is fear. In this case, fear of small towns in the United States who have an overt yearning to practice violence and dominance over animals. It is very difficult for me to comprehend why this would be entertaining and it is extremely unfortunate to see such a blatant lack of empathy. I truly think they should try this 'entertainment' on consenting humans first and then decide if they would still do it to a non-consenting animal who is 10 times smaller than them. Absolutely disgusting, to the max.”
Chicken roping violates WY § 6-3-1002. Cruelty to animals: (iii) Knowingly carries an animal in a manner that poses undue risk of injury or death.
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According to United Poultry Concerns we can help eliminate chicken roping by reaching out to officials in Wyoming and politely ask that they stop condoning this unlawful animal abuse.
“Please write a polite but urgent letter to the Wyoming State Veterinarian and the Moorcroft Police Chief urging them to uphold the WY state law that is violated by the chicken roping contest. Even if the chicken roping did not violate the law, which it clearly does, it could not and should not ever be condoned by law enforcement or anyone else.”
Dr. Hallie Hasel, WY State Veterinarian
Wyoming Livestock Board Office
1934 Wyott Drive Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: (307) 777-7515
Email: hallie.hasel@wyo.gov
Bill Bryant, Police Chief Moorcroft Police Department
104 North Big Horn Avenue
PO Box 70
Moorcroft, WY 82721
Phone: 307-756-9504
Email: police@townofmoorcroft.com
