LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Hi all, this has been a topic for many years concerning the welfare of a chicken, whether it be battery caged, enriched caged, barn, free range, or organic.

In 1999 the EU voted to ban all battery caged chickens by 2009. This lead to years of hot debates with various countries within Europe opposing this ban. Despite the original deadline of 10 years in order to give egg producers a chance to convert their farming systems, the ban was futher delayed for another year till 2010. It became clear that some EU countries had still not acted upon this in order to comply with the new proposed law which caused the EU to delay the battery cage ban even futher.

By 2011, 13 counties; Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and the Netherlands were found to have made little effort to rid their countries of battery cages. The ban was futher delayed up until now, 2012 (that's an additional delay of 3 years from the proposed 2009!), which is the final deadline and when the law will be passed. A lot of these countries have now finally acted and realised that battery farming will be illegal within Europe. Some countries such as Germany banned their cages 5 years ago in 2007.

When the battery cage ban comes into force on the 1st January 2012, there will still be illegal battery farming within Europe and illegal battery farmed eggs will be imported into Britian which in turn enter our food system. This puts pressure on British farmers as they have to compete with lower priced illegal battery eggs which undercut Free Range British farmers.

Egg producers in the UK, and indeed in many other European countries, have worked hard to convert out of battery cages ahead of the European deadline and have invested considerable sums converting their systems to ensure they meet the strictest possible welfare standards. -Vetsforum.

The reason for this ban is because research has shown that a birds welfare is severly affected while kept in a wire mesh cage and that harmful distress is caused. The minimum floor space a chicken has while in one of these cages sharing with 19 other birds is less than an A4 sheet of paper.

A barren battery cage prevents a hen from carrying out her natural behaviours, such as foraging for food, laying her eggs in a nest, roosting, stretching her wings and dust-bathing. This causes her extreme physical and psychological stress. -CIWF.

Myself, coming from a farming family spanning back 3 generations, we ourselves converted from battery farming in 2001 and now have 25,000 free range hens. We do not think that it is fair that illegal eggs will still be produced that we have to compete with (or for how long), which eventually will enter our food chain. The prices of wheat used for chicken feed has also reached a record high, narrowing the margins even more on British farmers. I am here asking for everyone to support British farmers and buy British products while taking welfare of livestock into account, for example, free range.


Thankyou.

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Here are some pictures to show Battery Farming -Google Images:






Here are some pictures to show Free Range Farming:





Inside a typical Free Range Shed (the birds access outside via "pop-holes" down both sides of the shed and lay their eggs in the centre nest boxes):

dpb

bought 2 BIG dozen eggs over xmas , thought id got a deal and then realised why they were cheap when i got home

GlesgaKiss

Interesting, thanks. Funnily enough, despite working frequently on farms, I had no idea about this. If they're going to legislate like this then, I agree, everyone should be on a level playing field.

Regarding the stress and effect on the chickens themselves, isn't that obvious (i.e. we don't need a study to tell us)? They were never meant to be bred by humans solely to spend their life in a cage.

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Yes it is obvious, but research and tests need to be done in order to back it up to prove it and provide evidence in order to legislate it, etc.

lordharding

iTrader: (1)

Yes very sad moving pictures
I kept free range chickens ( or hens we call them )for years and gave me lots of pleasure watching them in the garden ,Maintence free great pets and clever too they used to wait untill I come home as they knew they got the crusts from my sandwiches and always went to bed at the same time

Very sad to see lovely animals caged up like that

Turbohot

Thanks for bringing this to attention here, LSharratt. I support British farmers and will buy British product along with taking welfare of livestock into account. The problem for most people is to pay the higher prices for free range products. I can see the cost of eggs and chicken going up from January the 1st 2012. Good luck to you and all other ethical farmers out there.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Another thing I find of concern with factory hens is the Food and Vaccines they are given.

Now, of course it could just be me, but I for no apparent reason became allergic to eggs where before hand I never had a problem (throat swells up - not to point I choke, it just becomes difficult/uncomfortable to swallow). Now I love eggs, but now I can't eat them - not even organic. Things is, even organic egg laying chickens have vaccines and are in contact with the same cleaning chemicals or something used to keep rats/mice at bay, so if it is indeed something from that I'm allergic to, its still affecting me when I eat organic eggs (or food made from lots of eggs, like egg custards and omelets etc,.

Now I happened upon someone who keeps chickens, kept free range...doesn't vaccinate and uses natural feed (not the stuff laden with antibiotics and hormones etc)...guess what? I don't have a problem! I can eat them all day long.

Now techincally I should have a proper full-on allergy test (especially, considering my history with asthma etc). But my 'bovvered' GP just tells me its not nessecery and says not to eat eggs (thats NHS for you )

It does concern me about what shtye they are pumping into these animals. What else are they pumping into them? And if its not vaccines, could it be the food or cleaning chemicals or pest control getting into the food and water!

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

What I don't understand is why you're very against battery chickens yet seem to think punching a pregnant woman in the stomach is alright. Care to explain??

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Obviously that comment was joking aside along with a lot of other comments on the thread and yes, I did take it too far and appologise for that. It's hard to realise when the line is overstepped in fear of offending someone; I did, and am sorry.

I am almost sure that it would be nothing to do with their feed, water, cleaning or pest control measures and might be down to one of the vaccines as I cannot think what else it could be?

When they are young between 1 week old to 16 weeks old, they do go through a vigerous vaccine program in order to protect them from all the possible diseases and viruses which are quite common on large farms; these vaccines knock the birds back a bit as they build up strong resistance so this might be it, although I really am not sure.

Fresh water and feed is available without fail. The only additives added into the water is extra nuitrients and minerals when they are young and just about coming into lay to give them an extra boost; we only give this to them for 2 weeks then they're back on fresh water. The feed only comes from approved feed mills with strict rules and criteria.

The cleaning process is done 2 weeks before the chickens are housed in order to rid the chicken shed of any virus/diseases which may be in there which is always done by an approved disinfectant specially for poultry.

Pest control such as baiting is always placed in rat/mouse bait boxes so chickens and any other larger animals can not access the bait.

Chip

I always support british farmers, getting my eggs, veg, meat from local farm, butchers or farm market etc.

Chip

what would scooby do

mmm "chikkin"

May have to have a KFC now

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Me and the mrs have moved from supermarket meats to butchers. For a similar price you get better quality and less bloody water pumped into things like chickens etc to make them seem artificially plump

She prefers free range eggs to battery eggs and even the hippy organic ones too. Reading above I'm quite surprised at the lack of action by so called developed countries on this matter.

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Is there an official graphic/legend on the boxes, so that you KNOW it's defo a UK-originated product? If so, what is it?

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

...Or is it just a BS kitemark?

Chip

A red lion on most, though the eggs I get sometimes are not marked as they are literally picked up and put in a basket while I wait if I get there early enough.

The code on the eggs indicate the following:

0 - Organic
1- Free Range
2- Barn
3- Cage

UK - Origin

##### - end digits represent the registered flock number.

An example code is 1UK 12345

http://www.lioneggfarms.co.uk/information/egg-codes/




Chip

Leslie

Although I am perfectly happy that humans can eat animals or as in this case, farm hens for the eggs, I also feel that animals are living beings and that they should be treated humanely at all times. If we use them for our advantage I consider that the proper treatment for them is part of the arrangement.

I agree absolutely with the OP and those countries in the Eu who have ignored the requirements as stated should be taken to the wall!

Les

Wagon Gaz

iTrader: (18)

In general if you look for the "little red tractor" graphic on meats, dairy products and eggs this is on products where higher welfare standards are practiced, the OP is highlighting a problem with chickens and eggs and the same problem occours with Pigs, we import alot of Pork and Bacon from europe where welfare standards are not as good as in this country.

The other badge to look for on your food is the "freedom foods" one. This is overseen by the RSPCA and again ensures higher welfare standards for the animals in question.

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Wagon is correct, not to mention all of the 6-monthly farm audits carried out by the representing bodies and random spot checks to make sure that all farms are adhering correctly; little bit too much at times (and sometimes annoying)!

Chip is also correct with the code stamped on the eggs, although the last 5 digits is the farm number, not flock number ..all eggs are also stamped on farm with dedicated stamping equipment for each specific farm.

Martin2005

Did you know that worldwide every year 55 Billion Chickens are slaughtered... that's quite a lot really

Bonus point if you know which is the second most slaughtered animal?

Chip

Cattle?

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

Hedgehogs?

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

Duck

Martin2005

IOU 1 Bonus Point


-- 45,895 million (45.9 billion) chickens (I was only 10 billion out)
-- 2,262 million (2.3 billion) ducks
-- 1,244 million (1.2 billion) pigs
-- 857 million rabbits
-- 691 million turkeys
-- 533 million geese
-- 515 million sheep
-- 345 million goats
-- 292 million cows and calves (for beef and veal)
-- 65 million other rodents (not including rabbits)
-- 63 million pigeons and other birds
-- 23 million buffalo
-- 4 million horses
-- 3 million donkeys and mules
-- 2 million camels (and other camelids)

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

Wagon Gaz

iTrader: (18)

Not enough time to look after the stock properly for filling in paperwork

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

So.........these countries that won't be obeying the law, and will be producing cheaper eggs?

They will, of course, be fined and the money will be divided amongst egg-producers in countries obeying the law?

Or not....

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Leaders of the United Kingdom egg industry reacted with dismay and anger after the Government announced it would not implement a unilateral ban on illegal cage eggs from other countries of the European Union.

A European Union directive outlawing the use of conventional laying cages came into force on January 1, but whilst egg producers in this country have invested millions of pounds in free range and enriched colony production it is estimated that more than a third of hens in the EU are still in conventional cages. The EU Commission says it will begin infraction proceedings against those who break the rules, but such proceedings are painfully slow to enforce. The UK egg industry fears that eggs from illegal hens could find their way onto the UK market, unfairly undercutting law-abiding producers here. It has been pressing for a trade ban, but that has now been ruled out. -Farming UK

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

So.........money has changed hands then?