To “Give me a Break”
I’m not supporting tzar baalei chaim. If enough people get together to institue a change in how the chickens are treated, the entire minhag could turn into one big kiddush Hashem. We have close to 100 chickens squalking around our yard every year and we are very careful to keep them well fed and make sure they have enough water to drink. The smell is another story, though. Other than throwing down tons of sawdust there isn’t much that can be done about it. So far we have very understanding neighbors.