Gimme the dirt on factory farm eggs!

[Chickenmaven]

What is the truth about factory farm eggs? I would like to make an intellegent argument in favor of this hobby of mine. I want DD to be able to articulate WHY her eggs are better. I have been reading and hearing all this stuff about steroids and hormones and antibiotics. (They put hormones in eggs, really? What kind?)

I would like to know the real-deal scientific info about poultry industry additives. I can't find anything on the net. I am being told alot of things along the lines of "my uncle Joe said..."
HOWEVER, there are alot of smart people on BYC who really do their homework. Can you tell me the truth about commercial egg production practices? Point me to the science?

Thanks!

 

[Robin'sBrood]

If you can stomach watching this...

**link removed. No PETA posts period**

 

[horsejody]

The eggs aren't fresh that you buy in the store. There are 2 dates on the carton. The date the egg was laid is written as a julian date. Julian dates work as follows: Jan 1st = 1, Jan 2nd = 2, Dec 31st = 365. They use a julian date to make it hard for the consumer to read it. The expiration date is written as a regular date. If you look at the cartons in the store and do the math, you will see that the eggs are usually pretty close to 3 weeks old by the time you buy them. Yuck!!

Also, the washing process used scrubs the protective bloom off the shell so they are more easily contaminated. If you have your own hens, you know they are healthy and what they eat. Big business doesn't really give a darn about anything other than profit.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

Mother Earth News has FACTS for you - this is the front page of their "The Chickne and Egg Page." Actually, the LATEST RESULTS page is new since the last time I looked here, so now I am going to go read it, but I didn't want to read it before I posted, LOL.

Welcome. Please help us spread the word — eggs from hens raised on pasture are far more nutritious than eggs from confined hens in factory farms.

LATEST RESULTS: New test results show that pastured egg producers are kicking the commercial industry's derriere when it comes to vitamin D! Eggs from hens raised on pasture show 4 to 6 times as much vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs. Learn more: Eggciting News!!!

RESULTS FROM OUR PREVIOUS STUDY: Eggs from hens allowed to peck on pasture are a heck of a lot better than those from chickens raised in cages! Most of the eggs currently sold in supermarkets are nutritionally inferior to eggs produced by hens raised on pasture. That’s the conclusion we have reached following completion of the 2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project. Our testing has found that, compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:

• 1⁄3 less cholesterol
• 1⁄4 less saturated fat
• 2⁄3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

These amazing results come from 14 flocks around the country that range freely on pasture or are housed in moveable pens that are rotated frequently to maximize access to fresh pasture and protect the birds from predators. We had six eggs from each of the 14 pastured flocks tested by an accredited laboratory in Portland, Ore. The chart in Meet the Real Free-range Eggs (October/November 2007) shows the average nutrient content of the samples, compared with the official egg nutrient data from the USDA for “conventional” (i.e. from confined hens) eggs. The chart lists the individual results from each flock.​

 

[Chickenmaven]

We have 27 SPOILED chickens. Love getting a dozen eggs a day.

I know that factory farms are inhumane. That, in itself, is a compelling argument in favor of locally raised chickens & eggs. I am wondering if someone can address that whole "hormones and steroids" argument? People have asked me about it, as if I should be able to confirm it. I cannot. Unless I can find some well cited information about it, the next time I am asked, "Don't store eggs contain steroids and hormones?" , I am going to tell the person that I have readnothing that confirms that.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

This is another page on Mother Earth news called "The Hidden Link Between Factory Farms and Human Illness." I started to read it then became slightly depressed.....so I stopped but I will be back to read and think about what I might need to do, but the choices are limited living in the suburbs.

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

Quote:
Wow that's horrible. I just don't agree with being vegan, if you know where your meat, eggs, and milk come from. it doesn't really matter.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

We're not vegans either (or even vegetarians) but seeing how sick those birds can be... well it certainly makes you question the quality of their eggs. Did you see the blood covered ones and the one crawling with mites.

Those poor, poor girls.

 

[Chickenmaven]

Quote:
That was a really good article. I am in a position to seek out local, humane meat and I intend to do so.

Interestingly, and back to my original point, one of the online comments on Mother Earth News brought up that ol' hormones reference - as in "since factory food is loaded with hormones..." Please, folks, help me with this = ARE THERE HORMONES OR NOT?

 

[CANDLE98]

You know with all this information I may just raise my own meet. We have 4 acres and we are going to get pet goats, but why not a cow and maybe a pig?? I don't want to butcher myself, but I would like to know what is going into the animal.