According to a Reuter’s health story, foodborne illnesses sicken 33 million people each year and kill 9,000 in the United States alone. And we aren't even trying to kill people with meat yet. Imagine the destructive potential. The next war, my boy, will be a war of meat. From the USDA, here are a few thing you might not know are in your burger:

Also, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus are all bacteria which produce toxins. They are usually the result of food mishandling, but cooking will not destroy these toxins once they are in your food.

A little more research has turned up some hliarious information on what you are putting in your mouth:
This is a direct quote, stolen from http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/bae/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/ag61.html
Beef cattle producers searching for ways to lower feed costs and/or stretch feed supplies should consider broiler litter as a possible nutrient source for wintering, growing, and finishing rations. When fed in nutritionally balanced rations, broiler litter is a valuable source of crude protein and minerals for beef cattle.

My God, this is some funny shit! Disgusting, but really fuckin' funny! I stole this from nisbett.com religious and health news:
Carter recently purchased 745 tons of litter scooped from the floors of local chicken houses, stacking it 12 feet high on his farm near Dardanelle, Ark. After allowing the protein-rich excrement to heat up for seven to 10 days, Carter mixes it with smaller amounts of soybean bran, and feeds this faecal slumgullion to his 800 head of cattle. "My cows are fat as butterballs," Carter says. "If I didn't have chicken litter, I'd have to sell half my herd. Other feed's too expensive."