Yesterday I mentioned that I wanted to talk about some chicken insanity.
I am sure that you had hoped that I had a funny story to share with you.
Sorry, but....no... not this time.
I rarely get political about issues
unless they are related to animal welfare, the environment or health.
I try to keep this blog light-hearted and fun.
But, once in a while an issue comes along that gets my blood boiling,
and then I must share my thoughts.
My goal is to educate and to give you something to ponder.
So....let's begin.
Chicken Insanity
A couple of years ago I offered someone a dozen of our free range eggs to try.
His response to my offering was:
"No, I'd rather buy eggs from the grocery store...
they are cleaner than from a farm."
Ok.
Really?
Hopefully no one reading this blog feels the same.
But in the off chance that you do...keep reading.
If you are buying traditional eggs from a grocery store,
most likely they came from a place like this...
If you are buying your eggs from a grocery store and they are labeled all natural, cage free,
most likely they came from a place like this...
http://humboldtsentinel.com |
If you are buying your eggs from a grocery store and they are labeled free range,
most likely they came from a place like this
and most likely their outdoor area is much smaller...
If you are buying your eggs from a grocery store and they are organic,
most likely they came from a place like above...
most likely with much less outdoor area...
the only difference being that they are fed organic feed.
While none of these pictures looks horrific
(I have spared you those pictures..of which there are plenty),
(I have spared you those pictures..of which there are plenty),
these types of living arrangements are nothing compared to chickens
who are allowed to run free on a farm with access to fresh air,
green grass and vegetation, and clean water.
The above pictures are the best case scenarios for each of these types of eggs producers.
Is it any wonder that there are salmonella tainted eggs from these industrial farms?
Industrial chickens lead stressed lives 24/7,
and this type of stress leads to disease and poor egg quality..
not to mention the fact that there is no regard given to the welfare of the animals.
No, these types of egg producers are factories more than farms.
At the present time, the FDA and the USDA (in order to safeguard our health )
are considering regulations to limit
are considering regulations to limit
the outdoor exposure of these factory chickens....and all egg producers...
including small farms that produce truly pastured poultry.
They are operating under the assumption that contact with wild birds causes salmonella.
(our chickens are exposed to wild birds, insects, and such every day...
they are healthy birds despite this)
While wild birds (all birds probably) may carry salmonella,
the government is proposing we throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Chickens would not be at risk for contracting disease in the first place,
if they did not live in deplorable conditions.
The FDA/USDA regulations will require that all outdoor areas for chickens
remain free of wild birds, flies, rodents, etc.
They suggest the use of enclosed porches, netting, fencing, concrete, sound cannons, etc. to prevent
intermingling of chickens with other creatures.
In essence, this regulation will put small farms who truly pasture their poultry out of business.
We, here at Bee Haven Acres will not be affected by this new body of rules,
as we are not USDA certified.
We sell to friends and colleagues who "get it."
But there are many small farms who are certified, who will not be able to
continue their free ranging practices.
But there are many small farms who are certified, who will not be able to
continue their free ranging practices.
Why is it that the regulatory bodies react to things with such a backwards approach.
I am sure it is due to the influence of agribusiness, who hopes to put small, organic
producers out of business.
What can we do?
1. Raise your own backyard chickens.
If you are on the fence about this issue and need some guidance, email me.
2. Give your commentary to the FDA/USDA via their website...
(interestingly..the regulations.gov page that allows you to comment is "down" more than it is up)
3. Find a small farmer who raises his own pastured poultry...
local growers markets may be a good place to start.
Buy local.
Sorry for being so long winded.
Tomorrow we will be back to the usual farm stories.
But, for today....let's do something about the way our food is being
industrialized!
Industrial egg production is just the tip of the iceberg.
Comments
Yes, it is ludicrous and just plain stupid that these regulators and such who control how you run your business are trying to save your clients from good, healthy food. My kids have talked about opening a farm to table eatery....but that is almost impossible.
Since we farms are oh so "unclean"!
We humans are stupid.
Humm, wonder when I'm 100 yrs. old if I can have my girls in the rest home. LOL!!!
xo Kris
Good thing I was not the one he said this to!!!!!
Annie v.
I have such a huge problem with hawks, that all of my hens are in enclosed chicken tractors that I move to new ground each day. This method is a little more labor intensive, but my hens are safe and based on what I read here, complies with government regs.
Heather in PA
:/
Those hens pictured are badly feathered and literally hen pecked by their barn mates. That makes them inefficient in heat or cold. It would be like us wearing a tattered coat in the winter or a holey shirt with no sunblock in the summer.
But you know this is knowledge gained by being farmers or knowing you producers, and that's the hard part to pass along without the first hand experience. But we keep on trying.
Then there's the crazy vegetarian eggs. Have you seen them? Tell me how that is done. In a bugless vacuum?
We could go on...
Susannah
It took me a minute to get my head around that one, but when I finally picked my jaw up off the floor, I was able to let him know the truth about that.
I wonder if people ever read past the headlines and research things on their own? Then they would know that organic eggs mean next to nothing - they are just fed non-gmo feed while they are crammed in cages the size of an iPad.
Sigh.
All hail my backyard flock!
My daughters and I had the opportunity to tour a state of the art egg laying facility with their 4H Poultry Club. Each building housed 250,000 birds. There were six buildings on 4 acres for a total of one and a half million birds. The facility was fully automated, and very very clean. There was no ammonia smell and the poops were immediately carried away to be burned by an electricity generating plant on the premises. The ash was sold for fertilizer.The hens were kept in small battery cages and I agree that it is poor life for them, but we saw healthy, well fed and watered birds in small cages.
As long as there are millions of people in this country demanding cheap food, these places will be in business. Our environment would not be able to handle that many free ranging birds. I can't imagine how much land 1,500,000 birds would need to free range. Certainly not 4 acres.
Heather in PA
What is happening in the USA is also happening in Canada. Eggs who would have thought that the government could mess up on EGGS. Leave the farmers to handle what they know best..FARMING!! Chickens in factories..is not farming. Free range has worked for years. What has NOT worked is the Gov. taking over egg production and making it an INDUSTRY..not farming.
I will not go on any further but it makes me MAD!!
There is not enough paper if the word Monsanto is mentioned..another one of my rants.
Thank you for talking about the issue with eggs. Hopefully it helps more people understand we need to GO Back to farming the way it used to be.
I don't like the thought of hens living in factory systems either. But what would the environmental impact be if the 50 billion chickens farmed each year for meat and eggs throughout the world were all free range? All of that nitrogen would eventually find it's way into our waterways causing big problems for already polluted rivers and oceans.
My kid's poultry club toured a state of the art egg laying facility that housed 250,000 chickens per building. There were six chicken houses at that site, for a total of one and a half million birds on less than 4 acres. The birds had plenty to eat, drink, there was zero ammonia smell inside the building. The facility was very clean. My only complaint was the number of hens living in such small cages and the fact that their beaks were cut short to curtail feather picking.
The manure was carried away on conveyors and burned on the site to create electricity in a process that releases zero emmissions. The facility's environmental impact was minimal. A free range operation of one and a half million birds would consume massive amounts of land to operate.
I love my backyard chickens and want all chickens to live a natural life of fresh air, grass and sunshine like everyone commenting here.
BUT-As long as there are billions of people on this planet to feed, factory farms are a necessary evil.The best we can hope for is less crowded conditions for them. I wonder if the average person is willing to pay more for eggs and meat so that factory chickens can lead better lives?
Heather in PA