The Hen Report: “Both Nature and Nurture” | Animal Rights, Chicken Suffering, and Cultivated Meat Innovation

From horse-drawn carriages finally facing political opposition in NYC to innovative cultivated meat farms in the Netherlands, this week’s Hen Report serves up a feast of animal rights news with a side of irreverent commentary. Jasmin and Mariann dive into Kenny Torrella’s eye-opening Vox article quantifying chicken suffering (spoiler alert: it’s worse than you think), celebrate animal rights pioneer Jim Mason’s 85th birthday, and share exciting news about a Swiss researcher establishing legal foundations for animal rights. Plus, they explore the fascinating concept of “meat farms” that could help animal producers transition to more compassionate food production.

This episode explores:

• How all NYC mayoral candidates are now opposing the horse-drawn carriage industry (is change finally possible?)
• Kenny Torrella’s research showing the average factory farm chicken experiences 700+ hours of pain in their short 1,100-hour lives
• Swiss lawyer Saskia Stucki’s groundbreaking work establishing theoretical foundations for animal rights
• The world’s first cultivated meat farm coming to the Netherlands, offering traditional farmers a compassionate transition
• Jim Mason’s 85th birthday and his pioneering work exposing factory farming’s brutal reality

RESOURCES

• • • The cheapest way to stop animal cruelty
    • Latsis Prize 2025: Saskia Stucki aims to establish animal rights
    • Episode 223: “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
    • Horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park for NYC trip? Mayoral hopefuls say think again
    • The ‘World’s First’ Cultivated Meat Farm Is Coming To The Netherlands

We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode’s interview.

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Check out Our Hen House’s other podcasts: The Animal Law Podcast, The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and the Antiracism in Animal Advocacy Audio Series.

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Join hostesses Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan on this unique and fun award-winning podcast that focuses on changing the world for animals.

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