In a factory farm, chickens typically spend their entire lives in a space equivalent to an 8.5 x 11-inch piece of paper. The chart below from UK-based Compassion In World Farming (CIWF) puts this density in perspective.
As more people become aware of the environmental damage being done by intensive agriculture, some people are turning away from beef, widely considered to be the worst culprit, to chicken. For example, in Canada, demand for pork and beef has declined by about one-third while demand for chickens has more than doubled.
However, although choosing chickens is a somewhat better choice for the environment, it does result in many more animals suffering in factory farms. It takes approximately 185 chickens to produce as much meat as one cow.
