Chicken Scratch is an ASPCA Blog feature that highlights interesting news about farm animals and farm animal welfare.

• We’re loving the clever new Reebok commercial that stars one chicken who escapes from a cage in an epic quest for “free-range” fitness.
   
• The Wall Street Journal recently asked, “Will 2015 Be the Year of the Chicken?” As it noted, today’s modern meat birds are bred to “live fast, die young,” but consumers are concerned—and put off—by the standard practices of the chicken industry. The ASPCA’s Truth About Chicken campaign is working to improve those practices. With your help, it can be chickens’ big year!
   
• Imagine if telling the truth about animal abuse got you arrested. That’s what happened to animal activists in Utah—they were arrested for taking roadside photos of a pig farm. The arrests were possible because of an “ag-gag” law in that state. The charges have since been dropped, but the threat of ag-gag continues: new bills have already been introduced in several states this year. If you’re outraged, sign up to receive updates and take action.
   
• If you haven’t seen this incredible drone footage of a North Carolina industrial pig farm, we recommend it. But maybe wait until after lunch. Factory farming is not just bad for animals; as you’ll see, it wreaks havoc on the environment and local communities, too.
   
• Something is missing from Chipotle’s menu, but it’s no accident. Chipotle announced that it cannot provide pork to hundreds of restaurants because a supplier did not meet the company’s animal welfare standards. That’s the kind of uncompromising commitment to higher standards that we applaud.
   
• California has been in the news a lot lately, as new state laws took effect on January 1 banning cage confinement for pigs, egg-laying hens and veal calves. This change reflects consumer values and it’s time for it to spread to other states.