So, have my latest and greatest Mother Earth News magazine and ran across an article on how to "Decode an Egg Carton" and the differences between Cage Free / Free Range/Roaming; Certified Humane and Certified Organic Eggs - and found it quite..uhm.. interesting. This made me think about what truely IS and what is NOT as we have been led to believe. So word for word, here is the defintions from the USDA.
"Cage Free" "Free Range" or "Free Roaming": The terms "Free Range" and "Free Roaming" mean that hens have "been allowed access to the outside," according to the USDA. There are some thrid-party verification programs too (see below). "Free Range" ususally means the laying hens are raised in large flocks in big open warehouses rather than in stacked cages. They can walk around, flap their wings and preen their feathers. But outdoor access is not clearly defiend, it is probably very limited and on dirt or concrete rather than pasture. "Cage free" does not mean outdoor access.
"Certified Humane" - Humane Farm Animal Care operates a certifcation program specfiying that laying hens are uncaged, with access to perches, nest boxex and dust bathing areas. There are stocking-density maximums but outdoor access is not required. Beack trimming (but not debeakng) is allowed, starvation to induce molting is prohibited.
"Certified Organic" - Production methods must comply with the USDA National Organic Program including organic, vegetarian feed, no use of antibiotics, and no cages. Debeaking and forced molting by starvation are allowed. Oraganic standards require producers to "maintain livestock living conditions which accommodate the health and natural behavior of the animals." How much access to the outdoors this requires for chickens is still being debated. On large organic chicken farms, it may mean nothing more than a small door opening onto a concrete yard.
"Omega 3" All eggs contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, through tot be beneficial to human health. Omega-3 levels in eggs can be raised by supplementing the birds diet with fish oil, flax seed, or alfalfa meal (or by simply allowing the birds to forage on lawn or pasture).
Okay - now without turning any of this into an activist movement (the word we arent allowed to use on here) *please I dont want this to get locked* - after reading these definitions myself - I'm really torn on what I THOUGHT that people who were purchasing eggs from the grocery store, was for the birds. Which brings to mind a few questions for me:
1. Cerftified Humane - If they are allowed to force a molt by starvation - is that actually humane? Shouldnt a bird be allowed to molt on its own if its going to do so (mine havent molted yet and they are 15 months old and havent stopped laying yet) and I would never starve them. This actually sounds like the best out of the 3 options however - but do they give medications, antibiotics, what type of feed? It doesnt say...so is it really the best option? Do they have room to run around and stretch their wings?
2. Certified Organic: So just by not using antibiotics and feeding vegan - that certifies as organic? So they can use any other medication, just not antibiotics? And debeaking? How humane is that? The rest of what "certified organic" means is very sketchy to me and to me, sounds very crowded and very inhumane for the bird. How is forcing a molt by starvation and feeding all vegan when a chicken is an omnivore "maintaining the natural behavior of the bird?" Very confusing and a thin line there in my opinion... To me organic means no chemicals, no medications - just let the chicken be a chicken and treat natural/homepathic when its sick.
3. Cage Free/ Free Range - again the lines are unclear to this defination by their own admission. Which is it - do they have access or dont they to the outside grass and sunshine? Cage free means no cage.. but Free Range means they should have free range to the outdoors, grass and sun to me. It also doesnt state what they are fed, medications given, debeaking, etc.....
So now I'm as confused as ever
Guess when my girls do finally go into their molting (naturally..not forced by starvation) I will either go without eggs or have to find someone locally with a farm that sells eggs where I can inspect the conditions myself. I guess I can call my chickens Organic, Cage Free, Free Range and Humane and back it up with proof and my thoughts on the definitions of what those words should be because they have access daily to all the sun, grass, bugs, etc they could want, although they are in a huge 12X12 dog pen during parts of the day to keep from predators and keep them safe and their coop at night inside that pen (free to come in and out), but I still consider that cage free as they can preen and run around (I only have 6). They get treated like queens. I dont know, maybe I"m putting too much thought into this, but I dont think so....
And your thoughts are...???
"Cage Free" "Free Range" or "Free Roaming": The terms "Free Range" and "Free Roaming" mean that hens have "been allowed access to the outside," according to the USDA. There are some thrid-party verification programs too (see below). "Free Range" ususally means the laying hens are raised in large flocks in big open warehouses rather than in stacked cages. They can walk around, flap their wings and preen their feathers. But outdoor access is not clearly defiend, it is probably very limited and on dirt or concrete rather than pasture. "Cage free" does not mean outdoor access.
"Certified Humane" - Humane Farm Animal Care operates a certifcation program specfiying that laying hens are uncaged, with access to perches, nest boxex and dust bathing areas. There are stocking-density maximums but outdoor access is not required. Beack trimming (but not debeakng) is allowed, starvation to induce molting is prohibited.
"Certified Organic" - Production methods must comply with the USDA National Organic Program including organic, vegetarian feed, no use of antibiotics, and no cages. Debeaking and forced molting by starvation are allowed. Oraganic standards require producers to "maintain livestock living conditions which accommodate the health and natural behavior of the animals." How much access to the outdoors this requires for chickens is still being debated. On large organic chicken farms, it may mean nothing more than a small door opening onto a concrete yard.
"Omega 3" All eggs contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, through tot be beneficial to human health. Omega-3 levels in eggs can be raised by supplementing the birds diet with fish oil, flax seed, or alfalfa meal (or by simply allowing the birds to forage on lawn or pasture).
Okay - now without turning any of this into an activist movement (the word we arent allowed to use on here) *please I dont want this to get locked* - after reading these definitions myself - I'm really torn on what I THOUGHT that people who were purchasing eggs from the grocery store, was for the birds. Which brings to mind a few questions for me:
1. Cerftified Humane - If they are allowed to force a molt by starvation - is that actually humane? Shouldnt a bird be allowed to molt on its own if its going to do so (mine havent molted yet and they are 15 months old and havent stopped laying yet) and I would never starve them. This actually sounds like the best out of the 3 options however - but do they give medications, antibiotics, what type of feed? It doesnt say...so is it really the best option? Do they have room to run around and stretch their wings?
2. Certified Organic: So just by not using antibiotics and feeding vegan - that certifies as organic? So they can use any other medication, just not antibiotics? And debeaking? How humane is that? The rest of what "certified organic" means is very sketchy to me and to me, sounds very crowded and very inhumane for the bird. How is forcing a molt by starvation and feeding all vegan when a chicken is an omnivore "maintaining the natural behavior of the bird?" Very confusing and a thin line there in my opinion... To me organic means no chemicals, no medications - just let the chicken be a chicken and treat natural/homepathic when its sick.
3. Cage Free/ Free Range - again the lines are unclear to this defination by their own admission. Which is it - do they have access or dont they to the outside grass and sunshine? Cage free means no cage.. but Free Range means they should have free range to the outdoors, grass and sun to me. It also doesnt state what they are fed, medications given, debeaking, etc.....
So now I'm as confused as ever
And your thoughts are...???
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