I think this is cool

[farmertank]

Some of you may already be familiar with these people, but this is new to me.

I went into my local Food Giant and was doing the horror of shopping for eggs

My lazy hens are just not laying enough

anyways I found a "new" egg carton and it's brown eggs from a place called Rose acres. They have a website, so I checked it out. I think they are so cool.


Here is the site check it out for yourself.

http://www.roseacre.com/default.html

 

[gaited horse]

but are they all crowded in a big building

 

[farmertank]

I don't think they are crowded they show a slide show that show the chickens roaming free inside and outside. This is one reason why I think they are so cool.

 

[Schultz]

That's the only eggs my mom bought growing up when she couldn't buy from the farm guy. They are here in Indiana. Thanks for the link, it's pretty neat. I still prefer my chicken's eggs though!

 

[luvarabhorses]

I think it is nice. I thought the same thing, they are in a building

but even if they are, they get to socialize with each other

, are protected from predators

, and can't pick up parasites

being on wire.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

The hens are clean and protected - the hens have negligible contact with their own feces compared to free-range birds which
tend to eat their own and other hens (and other animals) feces when given the chance.

Since when do freerange birds EAT their own feces? Or any chicken for that matter. I know mine don't!
_____________________________________________

A chicken will ONLY lay an egg if certain conditions are met. Put simply, an unhappy hen will NOT lay an egg.

Take any one of the following things away from a chicken and she will cease to lay any eggs.

1. Ample Nutrition: with large amounts of calcium and phosphorus for strong egg shells and plentiful supplies of protein and energy for robust hen health.

2. Fresh, clean drinking water.

3. Continuous fresh country air.

4. Computer controlled temperature control to assure the hen is at a comfortable temperature at all times.

5. Proper day length....neither too long of a day, or too short of a day of activity such as eating, drinking, socializing with other hens is required for the hens to lay eggs.

6. Proper light intensity...neither too bright, nor too dark.

7. Vaccinations against diseases, (just like humans).

8. Chickens must feel secure. They cannot feel threatened. Whether it be from a predator or from a storm the hens need to feel protected from these threats.

9. Chickens need a daily schedule that sticks very closely to a routine. Small changes to a chickens daily regiment can have detrimental effects on them.

10. Safe handling by humans when interaction with the birds becomes necessary.

All of this is required for a hen to be capable of producing eggs on a daily basis.

Not ALL of those are required! My birds do not have vaccinations and lay consistently! And since when is a computer controlled temperature system necessary? Farmers have been keeping them outside for hundreds of years. If a controlled environment was needed then we wouldn't have any eggs!
________________________________________

Importantly, Cage systems provide cleaner eggs and also help keep the eggs safe from bacteria that might be present in the manure

It's called the BLOOM you idiots! Honestly these people aren't educated enough to know some of the stuff they're talking about.

But I guess if you want people to buy your eggs.... IMO, this is giving a bad guide to raise chickens. It may seem nice and some of the stuff they have there is great, but they need to know some of the "natural" facts.​

 

[farmertank]

I wish there was more places like this, maybe it would shut the others down. Anyways, They offer free-range eggs, so I bet they alternate them so that they are not always inside. Of course I'm just guessing, I should contact them and ask.
And no hormones

Julie

 

[monarc23]

Many times i've seen birds eat eachothers poo... wether by accident or for whatever reason I've seen it many times.

.

I personally think it's not that bad, they could be in worse situations.

 

[baltimoreharps]

Good thing my hens put up with my bad fibro days where I'm off schedule and they are!!

I'm still getting 2 eggs per day no matter where I am plus the broody that's trying to hatch non fertilized eggs until tomorrow...thanks, Quail!!

Chicken tractors rock!!

 

[Davaroo]

That is very cool - I like it a lot. Very tidy operation they seem to have. You'll also note they are de-beaked hens.

This is intensive rearing, by any other name. You can fancy it up with recycled packaging and call them "free-roaming," but that is good marketing - it has little to do with the hens.
"Put a pig in a fancy dress, and it still smells up the ball...."

For the record, hormones have been banned for some time now. Go here and read this for more information:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/newsletter/newsletter_nov04.pdf

And "free ranging?" That merely means they have access to a yard. It doesn't mean they use it, nor does it specifiy they must or even how big the yard must be.

It is not cage rearing, however, so that makes some difference to those folks incined to fret over such things.

This is simply one way to make a large scale commercial profit in the egg buisiness. That IS what this is all about for Rose Acres. Profit. And that, folks, is as it should be. That's what makes the world go round.

I dont have a problem with it, myself. People gotta eat and until each person starts producing his own food, this is one way to accomplish that. My hat is off to them for making the effort.

This particular method of floor rearing was common practice not too may years ago, before the battery cage system became the fashion. The wire is a new wrinkle, but not unheard of.

If you want happy, healthy hens, running amok in the sun and fresh air - better raise 'em yourself.