Well, I'm tempted to play the card that says we're just personifying animals, that is, giving them human feelings and consciousness. The PETA people say, "Well, how would you like it if you were being killed and eaten?" But, frankly, that's a different situation. Animals may have some basic intelligence (or instincts), but another depressing about those chicken facilities is that the chickens don't seem to be the least bit aware of where they are, their fate, etc.

What makes me skeptical of this argument is that people made the exact same case for slavery, genocide, etc.--they aren't human, they aren't like us, so killing or enslaving them is more a practical than a moral question. That's obviously incorrect, so it makes me wonder if I'm somehow blind to the animal issue because of ignorance. Maybe if I'd spent enough time around chickens and cows I might think, well, they are like us enough to make killing them evil.

When I hear about someone torturing animals or being unnecessarily cruel, I think--well, that person has mental issues and needs treatment, not so much, "that poor animal." That said, if I'd like to treat the animals well and keep them healthy, if for no other reason than that's just good business sense.