Commercial Eggs/Meat Vs. Backyard Eggs/Meat

[GlicksChicks]

DISCLAIMER
Before I begin to state my opinion and what I think could be done to fix the problem I am assessing, I want to give some disclaimers:
1. I am not a vegan, so I am not one of the vegans that belittle people for doing things with animals (Not all vegans are like that!)
2. I am not an animal rights activist, I am just a chicken owner concerned with the conditions of commercial chickens for meat and eggs.

Okay, now let's get started.

As many people know, chickens in commercial farms for meat and eggs are in horrible conditions. Many of them live in cages that are so small that they can barely move. And meat chickens live shoulder to shoulder in pens full of dying and suffering chickens.

I do not believe that animals should live like that. And for many animals, it is hard to find an alternative to that because cows need to be raised for a while before being able to be eaten same with pigs. (I AM NOT SAYING THEIR CONDITIONS AREN'T JUST AS BAD)

Chickens, on the other hand, lay eggs constantly and grow to eating age relatively quick. So many people akready have chickens and are selling their excess eggs, so I think we should switch to that.

The commercial farms that have free range chickens who are treated like living animals, and not just things to be caged, are not the commercial farms I am going after. Those ones are ones I believe that commercial farms should be replaced with mostly. I think those farms as well as backyard farmers should be the producers of eggs. It has already been stated MANY times that free range chickens have much better tasting eggs than commercial chickens.

I am not going to attach pictures of the conditions to this post, I do not want to be accused of trying to pull at heart strings to try and win my point, or guilt people into taking my side. I want you to look up pictures of the conditions yourself, as well as research them, like I have, so you know what I am talking about.

What are your opinions on the farms I am addressing?
Do you think my solutions are adequate? If not, what solutions do you have?

 

[FrostRanger]

I agree with you, I think those who are able to raise at least a few egg birds should at least consider it. Ik i'm preaching to the choir here, but chickens are easy once you have the right infrastructure up, and are cool animals to be around. I also think people are too disconnected from where their food comes from. I legit had to tell a guy on twitch that chocolate milk doesn't come from brown cows. He was being dead serious and seemed to be my age or older (won't tell my age, but I am an adult). I almost feel like basic ag education should be mandatory in school just so kids know at least the basics of where their food comes from. I just think in general a lot of societal problems can at least be helped if more people were at least a little more involved in producing at least a bit of their own food (or at least just get outside more, that'd help too) but that's just my 2 cents

 

[GlicksChicks]

I agree with you, I think those who are able to raise at least a few egg birds should at least consider it. Ik i'm preaching to the choir here, but chickens are easy once you have the right infrastructure up, and are cool animals to be around. I also think people are too disconnected from where their food comes from. I legit had to tell a guy on twitch that chocolate milk doesn't come from brown cows. He was being dead serious and seemed to be my age or older (won't tell my age, but I am an adult). I almost feel like basic ag education should be mandatory in school just so kids know at least the basics of where their food comes from. I just think in general a lot of societal problems can at least be helped if more people were at least a little more involved in producing at least a bit of their own food (or at least just get outside more, that'd help too) but that's just my 2 cents

I agree with your whole post. And that chocolate milk thing is just sad.

People don't even have to raise their own chickens. People with their own chickens can sell eggs to their neighbors or people in town. Take down the amount of people funding the commercial egg farms one person at a time.

I sell my eggs to whoever wants to buy them, and I have only gotten good reviews.

Kids nowadays are so glued to devices that it is sad. If you are stuck inside with your nose on a device all the time, you are missing out in so much. I love raising animals, birds, rabbits, etc. and I like to know where my food comes from. I want to know that the animals that I got my meat from had a good life and weren't fed any chemicals or anything that could get into the meat and eggs.

I am actually writing this response sitting outside with my chickens.

 

[FrostRanger]

I think there is hope for the guy I talked to as him asking me that was part of a larger conversation as he actually wants to have his family eventually be self-sufficient so I told him about some of the finer details of livestock management. We all start somewhere, I just brought it up to point out how ag education isn't where it should be. I also agree with buying eggs from local chicken keeper as well which is also a solution for those who can't/won't keep their own egg birds. I have also heard good things from friends/family I've given my eggs to that they are different from the eggs that they buy from the store. I tend to go over the top when I make my eggs heheh, but I remember once buying some eggs from a convenience store to eat as I was in a rush (and to give boiled eggs another chance as I only like scrambled eggs) and I took a look at them when I sat down later to eat them and they didn't even look healthy compared to the eggs my flock give me, they looked downright sickly. I ended up tossing them to the birds who ate them happily. I have no doubt my eggs are healthier too 'cause I feed higher quality feed and they occasionally free ranged (I don't do it often 'cause my yard isn't fenced and my neighbor does have dogs) and they're kept in stress free conditions with plenty of room to be chickens

 

[GlicksChicks]

I think there is hope for the guy I talked to as him asking me that was part of a larger conversation as he actually wants to have his family eventually be self-sufficient so I told him about some of the finer details of livestock management. We all start somewhere, I just brought it up to point out how ag education isn't where it should be. I also agree with buying eggs from local chicken keeper as well which is also a solution for those who can't/won't keep their own egg birds. I have also heard good things from friends/family I've given my eggs to that they are different from the eggs that they buy from the store. I tend to go over the top when I make my eggs heheh, but I remember once buying some eggs from a convenience store to eat as I was in a rush (and to give boiled eggs another chance as I only like scrambled eggs) and I took a look at them when I sat down later to eat them and they didn't even look healthy compared to the eggs my flock give me, they looked downright sickly. I ended up tossing them to the birds who ate them happily. I have no doubt my eggs are healthier too 'cause I feed higher quality feed and they occasionally free ranged (I don't do it often 'cause my yard isn't fenced and my neighbor does have dogs) and they're kept in stress free conditions with plenty of room to be chickens

Fresh eggs from healthy chickens are no doubtedly better than eggs from sickly commercial chickens. Once you have fresh eggs from backyard chickens/free range chickens you never want to go back!

It is good of you to teach that person about livestock!

 

[GlicksChicks]

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I love Chickenlandia

 

[GlicksChicks]

I love Chickenlandia

So do I! She has such a great personality and she isn't one of the chicken people on Youtube who have chickens but don't know what to do with them.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Kids nowadays are so glued to devices that it is sad.

It is sad.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I legit had to tell a guy on twitch that chocolate milk doesn't come from brown cows. He was being dead serious and seemed to be my age or older

Wow. Just WOW.