02-24-2012, 07:28 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-24-2012, 07:29 PM by Bring4th_Austin.)
I definitely don't mean to cast doubt on claims for companies like that. There's no real reason to doubt that the pictures and info on their website are false, especially if they are "certified," which usually means they undergo regular inspections by a third-party. You've already gone further than most consumers by checking their website and statistics, which is great. A lot of people feel they don't have time to become intimately involved with their food suppliers. The conditions of the birds in those photos looks more than acceptable for animal welfare in my opinion. They're also very pretty chickens.
I also feel I should share a bit more on the idea of avoiding certain foods for animal welfare/meat consumption issues. The egg industry is not free from animal death to support it, no matter which egg production system you're looking at. Chickens can live up to 10 years, but only produce eggs at a rate logical for business reasons for 2 years...after that their production reduces to 10% of normal, or completely stops. Feeding a non-laying chicken for 8+ years can be very costly and would drive egg prices up dramatically, to unaffordable levels. The dilemma exists more for vegetarians, because of course the chickens can be used to feed people after its laying cycle is done, which is almost always what happens.
There's also the issue of male birds. Obviously roosters have no purpose in an egg production system, unless it is a breeder, which you really only want the best genetics for that (meaning 1 rooster for probably over 1000 laying hens born). In the large scale production systems, the male chicks are simply thrown in the trash. Literally, still alive and breathing, thrown into a trash can and left their to suffocate as more chicks are thrown on top of them. In more sustainable systems, the roosters are raised as broilers (chickens for eatin'), so their life is not simply dismissed. Either way, animal death is unavoidable in egg production. Just something for people wishing to avoid the killing of animals to be aware of.
I also feel I should share a bit more on the idea of avoiding certain foods for animal welfare/meat consumption issues. The egg industry is not free from animal death to support it, no matter which egg production system you're looking at. Chickens can live up to 10 years, but only produce eggs at a rate logical for business reasons for 2 years...after that their production reduces to 10% of normal, or completely stops. Feeding a non-laying chicken for 8+ years can be very costly and would drive egg prices up dramatically, to unaffordable levels. The dilemma exists more for vegetarians, because of course the chickens can be used to feed people after its laying cycle is done, which is almost always what happens.
There's also the issue of male birds. Obviously roosters have no purpose in an egg production system, unless it is a breeder, which you really only want the best genetics for that (meaning 1 rooster for probably over 1000 laying hens born). In the large scale production systems, the male chicks are simply thrown in the trash. Literally, still alive and breathing, thrown into a trash can and left their to suffocate as more chicks are thrown on top of them. In more sustainable systems, the roosters are raised as broilers (chickens for eatin'), so their life is not simply dismissed. Either way, animal death is unavoidable in egg production. Just something for people wishing to avoid the killing of animals to be aware of.
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The only frontier that has ever existed is the self.
The only frontier that has ever existed is the self.