interesting dilema about cage vs cage free vs farmer market

[seedcorn]

I also take umbrage at this article's assumption that all eggs at the farmer's market are washed in detergent...or washed at all, for that matter.

So where do you buy your soap? or do you use laundry or dish washing soap? I would bet that most people use either dish washing soap or hand soap when they wash their eggs.

If chickens dieing makes the operation unhealthy, then I also have an unhealthy backyard operation. If commercial operations lose as many as you imply, they will go broke.

This is not to "defend" cage bird industry but to realize, we the consumers are the ones keeping it going.

 

[pkeeler]

A group of chickens lays eggs in those cages for about two years. Then the birds are euthanized, and new chickens are brought in.

The writer (and editor) shows an obvious bias just through the use of vocabulary. "Euthanize" is completely wrong here. You euthanize something to put it out of its misery. A pet or livestock is in such pain that to let it live is less humane than killing it. There is no pain involved with the chickens that are being killed. They simply won't keep laying as many eggs as before. I have no problem with killing chickens, but I have a problem with trying to sugar coat it to get across your agenda.​

 

[deb1]

HEre are some regulations that I found for selling your eggs here in NC. If you sell less then 30 dozen a week then you don't have to get your eggs graded.

Use only clean eggs. Don’t use floor eggs.


Lightly soiled eggs may be used for sale only if:
eggs are either lightly sanded to remove small areas of dirt OR

eggs are carefully washed in potable water 20°F warmer than the egg temperature and at least 90°F, using only sanitizers* approved for egg washing. Place eggs in suspended colander and rinse without submersing them in the wash solution. Eggs must be dried immediately afterwards. Sanded eggs must not be washed.

* bleach solution made of ½ oz of household bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite) in 1 gallon of water may be used.


Place eggs in clean, new cardboard boxes and store eggs at or below 45°F.


Sell only eggs of Grade A quality or better.


Shelf life of eggs is 30-40 days from lay if handled this way and stored under refrigeration.

Keep eggs refrigerated at all times; use coolers that plug into a cigarette lighter or use refreezable cool packs for farmers' markets, fairs etc. Don’t use ice. Eggs should stay dry.

I got this information from this website: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/eggsafetytips.html

I found the information easily for my state. I wonder why the reporter didn't do a web search to see what the laws for selling eggs at her local farmers markets are?

 

[deb1]

Quote:
The writer (and editor) shows an obvious bias just through the use of vocabulary. "Euthanize" is completely wrong here. You euthanize something to put it out of its misery. A pet or livestock is in such pain that to let it live is less humane than killing it. There is no pain involved with the chickens that are being killed. They simply won't keep laying as many eggs as before. I have no problem with killing chickens, but I have a problem with trying to sugar coat it to get across your agenda.

I think that the word should be culled. There is nothing wrong with culling a bird. Some of the best broth that I ever made was from an older rooster that we had to kill-he was just a bully.

 

[pkeeler]

I'm not sure culling can be applied to the killing and replacing of an entire flock. Culling is usually reserved for taking out individuals that display undesirable traits. But it certainly a better word than euthanize.

Either way, "euthanize" is completely out of place.

The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment.

The writer and editor should know the definition of this word and if they don't, can look it up in 10 seconds. They purposely used this word to mislead readers.

Like I said, I have no problem with the ethics of the farmer. Just the ethics of the writer and editor.​

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
So who checks that this done? Who hasn't picked up an egg that was laid on the floor? Again not trying to Ok commercial operations but buying eggs from farm market may or may not be better. Know who you are buying from.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
"YOU" the consumer. I am not a commercially-raised chicken consumer, thank you!

If your chickens are dying at the rate of the commercially raised chickens, then maybe you DO have an unhealthy backyard operation and should look into why this is. They can afford to have that percentage die, as they are raising hundreds of chickens. I doubt they would go broke, even then, as they can write these off at a loss. Also, have you seen the price of chicken in the stores? Noone's going broke there, trust me! If it wasn't a money-making proposition, they wouldn't be doing it...despite the dead birds!

I've raised chickens all my life and only had one die from unknown causes....and that was from a full-grown flock I had just purchased.

The people I talked to, about chicken houses they have worked in, told me about cleaning out 10-20 birds per day in these houses. That's just the birds that died. There is no telling how many are sick. Do you think they try to find out from what they died? Nope. It is such an ordinary occurence that they don't even stop to wonder. Just scoop them up and dispose.

As to what soap I use? Whatever it is, I don't apply it to my eggs. I very rarely get one that is soiled and that comes off easily if you scratch it lightly. If you bothered to read forum threads on here, you would find that there are a lot of folks who don't wash their eggs. If you are betting money, I'll take that bet! But maybe you should save your money and explore why your birds keep dying....?

 

[fullhouse]

All this just makes me glad I don't need to buy eggs.

 

[Beekissed]

Amen, sister!

 

[deb1]

Quote:

So who checks that this done? Who hasn't picked up an egg that was laid on the floor? Again not trying to Ok commercial operations but buying eggs from farm market may or may not be better. Know who you are buying from.

Good question! If possible then perhaps one could visit the farm that the eggs come from. The last time that I bought eggs, I went out with the woman to gather the eggs with her.

Of course, for those in larger cities, I have no idea how they could accomplish checking out who sells them eggs.

I think that if I was selling eggs, I would follow different procedures for what I consume myself as opposed to what I sell. I probably would eat an egg that was laying on the ground, but I would not sell such an egg to another person if the state's regulations said that I shouldn't. I would also immediately refrigerate the eggs that were for customers which I might not do for my own eggs.