Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[capayvalleychick]

I have a family member who married into a family that runs one of the largest egg production companies in their end of the state. She proudly gave me a tour inside one of their chicken houses, years ago. It was worse than what is seen in that video. The cages were square, half that size. 4 hens were crammed into each cage. None of them had both legs on the ground, usually two were piled on top and couldn't reach the bottom of the cage. There was a pile of dead hens at the end of the building taller than me.
At that time, I had no idea of the conditions of production hens. I was shocked. I haven't bought a commercially raised chicken egg since that day.

That flock was wiped out by Newcastle Disease, but soon opened up again. When California passed a law banning hens in cages, I contacted a family member. I offered information on how to retrofit the poultry houses so that the hens could move around on the ground (inside the building) and the egg collection would still be just as easy. They were not interested. They have NO regard for the health or well being of those chickens. The new law doesn't go into effect for several years and they are going to wait until it is enforced before making any changes.

 

[Briezeechicks]

I have a family member who married into a family that runs one of the largest egg production companies in their end of the state. She proudly gave me a tour inside one of their chicken houses, years ago. It was worse than what is seen in that video. The cages were square, half that size. 4 hens were crammed into each cage. None of them had both legs on the ground, usually two were piled on top and couldn't reach the bottom of the cage. There was a pile of dead hens at the end of the building taller than me.
At that time, I had no idea of the conditions of production hens. I was shocked. I haven't bought a commercially raised chicken egg since that day.

That flock was wiped out by Newcastle Disease, but soon opened up again. When California passed a law banning hens in cages, I contacted a family member. I offered information on how to retrofit the poultry houses so that the hens could move around on the ground (inside the building) and the egg collection would still be just as easy. They were not interested. They have NO regard for the health or well being of those chickens. The new law doesn't go into effect for several years and they are going to wait until it is enforced before making any changes.

THAT is why my husbands grandparents and great grandparents opted to produce eggs for a hatchery instead of for the food industry. Even way back then, the conditions were deplorable. At first they raised broilers, and then switched to hens. Those hen houses are still standing, and the people who bought Bryans grandparents' place are still there, still raising hatchery stock. We were taken on a tour, and Bryan said it hadn't changed a whole lot. But hens that produce eggs for a hatchery are loose on the floor and both walls are lined with nest boxes. The building is about a hundred yards long - HUGE! But they at least are not confined to small cages, there are roosters, and the old people still pull a wagon full of feed and scoop it into hanging feeders. Bryan says the water system is different. They have installed a nipple system.

We were up there in the winter, so the "curtains" were cranked up to keep out the cold winds if not the cold. In the spring, summer and fall months, they were opened and a great cross breeze was present, for the entire length of the building on both sides was wire! Not exactly free range, but they had plenty of room. There were probably 500 or so chickens per house. Each house was designed to house 2500 broilers, so they were not all that crowded.

I have to commend my "in-law" ancestors for caring enough about chickens even back before it was "in vogue" to opt for the lesser-paying hatchery stock than the commercial eggers!

Brie

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I wonder how anyone can give a tour of such a place as commercial battery houses and not see the horror on the faces of the people following along? How can they walk by these poor creatures and not feel something...anything? Are they just completely blinded by their greed?

I got the same sinking feeling when touring Joel Salatin's farm...out on the grass the animals seemed fine, though many of the chickens didn't look any too healthy. But entering into the Racken House was a real eye-opener....I couldn't stay in there long because what I saw was making me physically ill. Sick, overcrowded chickens, green-coated and scummy waterers, dead rabbits in cages with the living rabbits walking over them...it was too much.

I promptly went home and threw away all his books that I owned.

 

[coloradogal]

I wonder how anyone can give a tour of such a place as commercial battery houses and not see the horror on the faces of the people following along? How can they walk by these poor creatures and not feel something...anything? Are they just completely blinded by their greed?

I got the same sinking feeling when touring Joel Salatin's farm...out on the grass the animals seemed fine, though many of the chickens didn't look any too healthy. But entering into the Racken House was a real eye-opener....I couldn't stay in there long because what I saw was making me physically ill. Sick, overcrowded chickens, green-coated and scummy waterers, dead rabbits in cages with the living rabbits walking over them...it was too much.

I promptly went home and threw away all his books that I owned.

I watched the movie 'Food, Inc.' and it was the first time I had ever heard from him. I was disheartened by his killing method and knew I'd have a hard time regarding much of what he ever said after. He was talking about healthiness and insinuating happiness while slaughtering his birds in front of each other.

Having livestock and having to cull your own food will either do two things to you. It will either make you into a prayer loving, God fearing person who respects life or it will make you into a sadistic person inside who doesn't value life. I suspect as more people care for their own flocks, there will be less and less stomach for the inhumane treatment of chickens.

I give beginner flocks away to friends/family interested in small flocks for eggs with the understanding that if they should find themselves unable to care for them, I'll take them back. I usually end up with roosters back. But by doing that, it gives people the comfort to try it themselves and a network to go to when things aren't right. I can't cull them but give them to grandma to do that. she does cervical dislocation followed by severing of the neck as that is how she was taught to do it. we find out now that cervical translocation, for a small farm, is the most humane as sometimes severing of the neck does not lead to unconsciousness due to technical problems.

I'm rambling but it bothers me to see any animal mistreated. I understand the need for chicken soup but not if it takes away from the dignity of the animal giving its life. If people had to kill their own food, I truly believe there would not be a debate in the US on public prayer. We'd all understand it.

 

[bruceh]

I watched the movie 'Food, Inc.' and it was the first time I had ever heard from him. I was disheartened by his killing method and knew I'd have a hard time regarding much of what he ever said after. He was talking about healthiness and insinuating happiness while slaughtering his birds in front of each other.

Having livestock and having to cull your own food will either do two things to you. It will either make you into a prayer loving, God fearing person who respects life or it will make you into a sadistic person inside who doesn't value life. I suspect as more people care for their own flocks, there will be less and less stomach for the inhumane treatment of chickens.

I give beginner flocks away to friends/family interested in small flocks for eggs with the understanding that if they should find themselves unable to care for them, I'll take them back. I usually end up with roosters back. But by doing that, it gives people the comfort to try it themselves and a network to go to when things aren't right. I can't cull them but give them to grandma to do that. she does cervical dislocation followed by severing of the neck as that is how she was taught to do it. we find out now that cervical translocation, for a small farm, is the most humane as sometimes severing of the neck does not lead to unconsciousness due to technical problems.

I'm rambling but it bothers me to see any animal mistreated. I understand the need for chicken soup but not if it takes away from the dignity of the animal giving its life. If people had to kill their own food, I truly believe there would not be a debate in the US on public prayer. We'd all understand it.

last paragraph X2

 

[Beekissed]

I slaughter birds in front of the other birds as well. They have no negative reaction whatsoever and will push and shove to drink the blood. They are blessed with a lack of cognitive understanding of death and are unable to anticipate or reason about such things. They even chase and fight over the choice pieces of offal....after doing this for 36 years, I can only conclude they are singularly unaffected by the death of their flock mates.

The dog, on the other hand, gets a little upset at first but finally settles down.

 

[Briezeechicks]

I have seen show dogs that cringe when someone raises their voice, and it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end! It tells me in plain English that that animal has a reason to react that way. Makes me mad.

I'm with you, coloradogal, in that no living being deserves to be mistreated. Can't stand it, be it man or beast. And while I think a dog or maybe a horse might be affected by seeing a pack mate or stable mate being abused and/or killed, I can't think it would affect a chicken much. Like Beekissed said, they'll eat anything and the products that we throw away, they think is dinner. Actually, when it comes right down to it, chickens can be pretty gross, but we love them anyway!

Brie

 

[Maven]

Quote:

I wonder how anyone can give a tour of such a place as commercial battery houses and not see the horror on the faces of the people following along? How can they walk by these poor creatures and not feel something...anything? Are they just completely blinded by their greed?

I got the same sinking feeling when touring Joel Salatin's farm...out on the grass the animals seemed fine, though many of the chickens didn't look any too healthy. But entering into the Racken House was a real eye-opener....I couldn't stay in there long because what I saw was making me physically ill. Sick, overcrowded chickens, green-coated and scummy waterers, dead rabbits in cages with the living rabbits walking over them...it was too much.

I promptly went home and threw away all his books that I owned.

Scary,isn't it, Bee?

You can read a shiny new book and the author sounds so knowledgeable and, well, surely if it is in writing it MUST be true and they practice what they preach, right?

It is like that auction I went to yesterday. We had heard all about this family - how they practiced sustainable farming and how knowledgeable they were - it sounded like they were the modern day little house on the prairie family that had a storybook farm.

When I got there and SAW those poor chickens I was horrified.

I'm sorry, but NO ONE who knows ANYTHING about good animal husbandry has animals that look like that. You and your poor girls were on my mind all the way home! I'm so glad you were able to save yours!!

Good news! 12wk old I asked about is doing GREAT today! You would really never know that anything at all had been wrong with her. This really does lead me to believe that she probably ate something that didn't set well with her. What, who knows? we have 20acres of pasture and 50 of woodland that is all theirs and there is a huge variety of mushrooms and toadstools growing in the timber right now. I just hope while she was in that trance her dreams were all psychedelic

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[Beekissed]

We can only hope!

Yes, I used to be a Salatin groupie and started following his writings and listening to him speak clear back in the 90s. Started using some of his methods and found them satisfactory. Read all his books several times. Finally moved closer to where he has his farm and got a chance to go on a tour....sort of like my Graceland, you could say.

Yeah, I know, I'm naive and gullible....I don't know that I will ever grow out of expecting folks to be straight shooters and I'm always looking for the good in people.

You could say I'm cured of that where Salatin is concerned. I guess I was expecting his place and animals to be like he describes in his books and I was expecting him to have the values that he professes to have...not saying he doesn't for sure, just saying it wasn't real obvious to the casual observer on that day.

 

[Maven]

We can only hope!

Yes, I used to be a Salatin groupie and started following his writings and listening to him speak clear back in the 90s. Started using some of his methods and found them satisfactory. Read all his books several times. Finally moved closer to where he has his farm and got a chance to go on a tour....sort of like my Graceland, you could say.

Yeah, I know, I'm naive and gullible....I don't know that I will ever grow out of expecting folks to be straight shooters and I'm always looking for the good in people.

You could say I'm cured of that where Salatin is concerned. I guess I was expecting his place and animals to be like he describes in his books and I was expecting him to have the values that he professes to have...not saying he doesn't for sure, just saying it wasn't real obvious to the casual observer on that day.

I don't call looking for the good in people naive and gullible. I call it faith and believing that other people practice what they preach like you do. You know what they say about a skunk smelling his own hole first...