In “Slaughter: In a Glass Abattoir,” Pollan and Salatin process broiler chickens. Specifically, several hundred chickens are “killed, scalded, plucked, and eviscerated.” As in previous chapters, Pollan explores first hand what it is like to participate in this part of agriculture, though he admits that it is not easy for him. He explores the emotional and ethical implications of slaughter, but he is primarily interested in contrasting how Salatin’s abattoir differs from an industrial slaughterhouse.

In the industrial food chain, Pollan notes, animals are killed behind closed doors and high walls. At Polyface Farm, animals are killed in the open air. Although Salatin would prefer to butcher all of his livestock himself, farmers are only able to process a limited number of birds on their farms. The slaughter process is draining and often gruesome for Pollan (who participates in killing, eviscerating, and boiling the chickens), but Salatin explains that his preference to slaughter his livestock is an extension of his worldview. However, Salatin is now fighting for the right to continue his open-air abattoir.

Government regulations regarding slaughter are designed to accommodate centralized abattoirs. For example, it is mandated that the walls be cleaned on a regular basis and that there be a separate washroom for the federal inspector. However, there are no walls and there are no washrooms at Polyface’s abattoir. Contrary to what one might expect, Salatin reports that he has had his chickens tested for bacteria against those of the industrial abattoir— and his birds have lower levels. Salatin concludes that this is because the open air and the sunlight control act as a disinfectant. Salatin also points out that concentrated agriculture is what allows for the rampant spread of bacteria, which is why there are so many regulations for industrial slaughterhouses. Ironically, the one regulation missing is an acceptable level of bacteria within chicken. There is no standard for bacteria levels; there is only a standard for the process of slaughter. Even if there were a standard, Pollan reveals that the United States Department of Agriculture cannot instigate a recall of slaughtered meat anyway.

The differences between Salatin’s process and the industrial process of slaughter continue. Although Pollan feels squeamish while killing chickens, he finds that he quickly grows accustomed to it, to the point that it becomes routine, and he notes that this rapid ambivalence is nearly as disturbing as killing the chickens. Salatin reports that slaughter is unpleasant, but it is manageable to do once in a while. In contrast, in industrial farms, people spend their entire workweek slaughtering animals. Pollan reports that it is “not uncommon for full-time slaughterhouse workers to become sadistic.” Although the inspectors may be baffled by Salatin’s operation, Polyface Farms has many customers who prefer to buy their meat from a trusted, local source. There are no walls, so these consumers are free to inspect their animals in as much detail as they would like, unlike the inherent nature of concealment in abattoirs that conform to federal mandates. Ecologically, Salatin’s alternative system again triumphs over the industrial system because the remains of the meat are composted.