interesting dilema about cage vs cage free vs farmer market

[seedcorn]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2008/08/10/20080810valdez10.html

If you don't have your own chickens, interesting dilema the writer found herself in. It isn't as easy as it sounds......fire away.

 

[Dar]

very intresting atricle..thanks for posting the link

 

[wclawrence]

If you dont have you r own birds, you either need to get some or have a local friend that you can buy eggs from. FREE RANGE. That is the key to successful production of eggs that are not only "not bad for you" but are actually GOOD for you.
I can't stress Free Range enough. Hens that actually live outside and can get to fresh green grass, dirt, leaves to scratch in, or a huge compost pile (horse or cow manure + grass clippings) is actually very good for them to live near, as bugs, fungi, and vitamin B all grow in compost piles.
Free range yolks are orange, not that light yellow of penned birds. They are higher in vitamins and minerals, and contain much more balanced levels of O-3 and O-6 fatty acids.

Big yards can be fenced in and keep a few birds, especially if you can get some heavy type hens that cant fly too good.

 

[deb1]

This annoyed me from the article.

Aha, he replied, but those eggs are produced in completely unregulated conditions from chickens that may or may not be healthy. He said some farmers-market eggs were found to have been washed in detergent, which can permeate the shell.


This was written by Hickman, the man who owned the battery chicken farm. I am not putting down such farmers. But to take his word for conditions of his competitors without checking into that type of farm seems to be an example of bad reporting. Remember she only checked into cage free birds not free range birds.

 

[Rosalind]

Agree w/deb--If she goes to the farmer's market, can she not visit those farms to see for herself the quality of the place? That's why I buy from the farmer's markets when I can, because the farms are all local enough that I can drop by. Most of our local farms have a once-a-year open house type of thing for the CSA subscribers, so you can see the place yourself.

Anyway, that may be just her state. Around here the farms selling at farmer's markets are most definitely regulated! Our state dept. of agriculture is very clear on that point, and the cities and towns enforce it.

 

[keystonepaul]

How big are the "free range" (not cage free) operations?? Are there ones on the scale of the cage and cage free facilities? I would think there would be lots of local and grass roots type of free range operations,but on a much smaller scale- are there very large operations that free range?? Keystonepaul

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
May be annoyed but unfortunately it's accurate. Once again, dictating that we know where our food comes from.

 

[fullhouse]

Quote:
And what do his eggs get washed with exactly? Organic foo-fo wash?

 

[BettyR]

The typical city back yard is ample space to have 3 or 4 chickens to produce enough eggs, grow enough vegetables and feed enough meat birds for a typical family. If this is not possible because of deed restrictions it only takes a little scouting to find a local with yard eggs for sale.

Then scouting out a local farmer to provide grass fed beef, pork, chicken, turkeys and so on; most people just don't know any better.

 

[JennsPeeps]

It's so easy to grow a few chickens in the back yard, why not do it? It's way easier than dogs.

I agree that this is a tough choice for people who don't have the option of a backyard flock (economics, travel schedule, space, ordinances, etc.). I've been a "caged-egg" buyer my entire life. I've bought them because they're cheap.

We get what we pay for.