Organic Egg Certification: Not Worth It

[Uncle Marc]

WOW! I just got off the phone with an "organic" certification representative and what an eye opener.

Did you know that in order to sell eggs with the word "organic" on them the chickens can't have any access to treated lumber, or be on ground which has come into contact with treated lumber for three years? That means any posts for fences, or posts for your coop or your deck or any out buildings cannot have any treated lumber exposed to the chickens or the ground they walk on, including the pastures they walk in.

In fact, there is a serious question about where the water they get comes from(which might have to be tested), as well as any chemicals (roundup, yard fertilizer, etc) in use anywhere around them.

You can give your chickens no medications, no supplements and no treatments for pests or other afflictions.

The USDA owns the rights to the word "organic" and unauthorized use of it carries an $11,000 fine. PLUS the gov't just gave them a $9 million grant for enforcement.

Add all that stuff up and then consider the number of "visits" your operation will get from government agents and in my humble opinion, it isn't worth it.

 

[galanie]

Yep. It's this stuff, and not the actual cost of the product otherwise, that makes certified organic things so expensive. It's gotten so that most people take the word "organic" on a label to mean nothing all all more than "more expensive."

 

[aoxa]

It's crazy isn't it! I think it's much more important to buy eggs from a local farm than organic at the grocery store. Organic eggs do not mean happier chickens IMO.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Organic just means organic. It doesn't mean anything else. If you want to raise them with exposure to chemicals, then do it. Just don't call them organic.

Nobody has to raise anything organically. If you aren't already living, gardening or raising any livestock organically, I'm sure it's a shock. Chemical usage is extensive in our society.

If all you want is to make more money off your eggs and you don't want to be bothered with organic certification, then think of some other way to market your eggs so that you can boost the price. Try giving them a happier lifestyle or feeding them a better diet, so the eggs are more nutritious. Lots of people would go for that.

 

[Tracydr]

Just call them naturally raised and explain to your customers how you raise them, what you feed. They'll usually be fine with that.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
x2 Organic in the grocery store only means they are fed a different feed. They are still in cages.

 

[CheekyMare]

As an egg eater, I'm more interested in humanely raised than organic. I would like to know they were treated when sick and given dewormer to improve their quality of life.

 

[daver]

 

[eggdd]

Quote:
yes. and it makes sense. do you know what treated lumber is? and what it's capable of?

my question to you, sir, is: why would you use treated lumber? for anything? why?

 

[Stacykins]

Quote:
Pressure treated lumber lasts. That is why people use it. They'd rather not have their coop floorboards rotting out after a few years. Not all treated wood is evil, some are treated more naturally. Beekeepers will often dip their wooden beehive boxes into vats of hot linseed oil for treating. That is 'treated' lumber, but with an edible oil. Sure, plenty of companies use chemicals like chromated copper arsenate and whatnot, but unless you're chewing the wood, burning it and inhaling the smoke, etc. it is fine.

Anyway, OP, probably a good idea to decide not to go along with the organic silliness. Just an excuse for the government to breathe down your neck.