New Federal Bill Would Require Egg Production Farms to Use Humane Housing For Hens

[justuschickens59]

The part I italicized in your quote above really doesn't fit. The "virtues of ethics and humaneness" are not owned by, nor exclusive to, Judeo-Christian beliefs. In fact, one could easily argue that Judeo-Christian beliefs include man's inherent dominion over the land and all its creatures by virtue of his place in divine hierarchy, as stated in Genesis, and that this contradicts any claim of being humane to animals being born in Judeo-Christian philosophy. If it was, the spread of Christianity would have been followed with an equally long history of "ethics and humaneness" to animals, but we do not find that to be the case. So...perhaps it would have been best to just not include the text I italicized in your quote.

X2 - Virtues of ethics and humaneness have nothing to do with Christianity or any religion. No particular religious group has the corner market on human morals, ethics, and values.

That being said, I so truly hope that something is done with the way animals are raised in big industry for food. It is a very sad state that we, as humans, continue to condone such horrific practices of cruelty to animals.

 

[BTF1218]

"If it passes, it means an eventual end to "battery farms" where hens are kept in little cages on rough wire, with no room to live and move the way chickens are meant to."

Unfortunately this is just not true of the new bill. It would actually MAINTAIN these cruel conditions, while throwing in some provisions that the egg industry was already making anyway. And worse yet, it will create a national standard for egg factory cages that could never be challenged or changed by state law or public vote. That means no more future cage free initiatives, and no more Proposition 2 in California! The Stop the Rotten Egg Bill campaign is getting it right. Check it out. This bill would indeed keep hens locked IN cages forever.

 

[justuschickens59]

Do we have any battery hen adoption programs here in the States? I know the UK has a very successful program there. I would definitely be interested in adopting some battery hens and providing them a home with lots of room and freedom and love for the rest of their days.

 

[GardenerGal]

Actually, I did consider going back and changing it to a more generic, non-religious version as you are absolutely right -- humaneness is not the sole domain of Judeo-Christian beliefs, as my Buddhist- and Secular Humanism friends would attest. But I was lazy. Shame on me.

However, in response to your comment about humaneness not being a tenet of the so-called Abrahamic religions, I will clarify and qualify that I was not thinking of "Old Testament, subdue the Earth" stuff in Genesis that reflects the harsh realities of life in the Middle East thousands of years ago, but the living, breathing forms of Christianity and Judaism. and of Islam too, that exist today. Back in the Middle Ages, and even back in the Babylonian Exile of the Jewish people, their sages and scholars re-hashed the OT (which is their complete testament) and started developing a collective conscience about the humane treatment of animals, Mainstream Man.

Anyway, not to get too far off track... I do agree with your initial concern about compassion not being the proprietary tenet of only selected faiths and philosophies. Again, I just got lazy. I'm giving myself 10 lashes with a wet egg noodle for that.

The part I italicized in your quote above really doesn't fit. The "virtues of ethics and humaneness" are not owned by, nor exclusive to, Judeo-Christian beliefs. In fact, one could easily argue that Judeo-Christian beliefs include man's inherent dominion over the land and all its creatures by virtue of his place in divine hierarchy, as stated in Genesis, and that this contradicts any claim of being humane to animals being born in Judeo-Christian philosophy. If it was, the spread of Christianity would have been followed with an equally long history of "ethics and humaneness" to animals, but we do not find that to be the case. So...perhaps it would have been best to just not include the text I italicized in your quote.

 

[GardenerGal]

Yeah, I guess I just harbored the naive hope that it would do something good.
I suppose giving them more space has to be something better than the current conditions, but not by much, hey?

The one bright note is the growth of the "locavore" movement. With more people wanting to know the provenance of their food, and wanting it to be grown and raised by farmers within a certain radius of home, perhaps we will see larger numbers of small farmsteads/homesteads raising poultry under far more humane conditions. Instead of enormous factory farms, a larger volume of small and select holdings that contribute to a greater food pool.

That's probably another naive hope... :/

On the other hand, the fact that thousands of people on BYC are raising fowl or some sort, has got to be something positive in that respect!

"If it passes, it means an eventual end to "battery farms" where hens are kept in little cages on rough wire, with no room to live and move the way chickens are meant to."

Unfortunately this is just not true of the new bill. It would actually MAINTAIN these cruel conditions, while throwing in some provisions that the egg industry was already making anyway. And worse yet, it will create a national standard for egg factory cages that could never be challenged or changed by state law or public vote. That means no more future cage free initiatives, and no more Proposition 2 in California! The Stop the Rotten Egg Bill campaign is getting it right. Check it out. This bill would indeed keep hens locked IN cages forever.

 

[justuschickens59]

I spent some time this evening searching for egg production farms within 4-6 hours of where I live. I found several. I sat down and drafted a letter and e-mailed them all, asking about the possibility of adopting some hens when their "production life" was over. I told them that I would be happy to pay for the hens and pick them up. I also told them that I was in no way affiliated with any organization or animal rights group. I just simply said that I was a person who would love to have the opportunity to provide a hen, who has served her production purpose well, a home with lots of love, room, freedom to free range daily, and chicken companions for the remainder of her days.

I anxiously await responses.

PS - GardenerGal - I so admire you for willingly accepting those 10 lashes with a wet noodle !!

 

[newfoundland]

Good for you justuschickens59! Hope you are successful. We do have a thriving ex-battery hen adoption network here in UK. All local charities and run on a voluntary basis. There is huge publicity and always a waiting list for would-be-adopters. My hens are ex-bats and when I look at them now, and think back to the days when we first got them, there is no comparison in there health, liveliness and demeanor.

We have also enjoyed the fringe benefit of delicious eggs, because, in the UK, it is customary for the farmers to restock when their birds are about one year to eighteen months. This means they can have years of egg production left, but because that is not 100% reliable, they are discarded. We pay very little for them, a donation of about £5 each is suggested. Far from being antagonistic, the farmers are all for it. They contact the charities direct when they have birds for rehoming, and the charities work hard to preserve a good working relationship with the farmers.

Also, here, major supermarkets visit the farms to ensure that their suppliers are rearing the animals in compliance with the very strict regulations. Animal welfare is very important to the general public in my experience. An example of this is recently, in my county, a farmer sought permission to set up a dairy farm of mega proportions. He intended to have 1000 milking cows. The plans for the housing, milking sheds, barns etc, were the last word in animal welfare provision. The local government, however, refused permission on the grounds that it is not conducive to the well being of cattle, to be in such a large herd!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Yeah, I guess I just harbored the naive hope that it would do something good.
I suppose giving them more space has to be something better than the current conditions, but not by much, hey?

The one bright note is the growth of the "locavore" movement. With more people wanting to know the provenance of their food, and wanting it to be grown and raised by farmers within a certain radius of home, perhaps we will see larger numbers of small farmsteads/homesteads raising poultry under far more humane conditions. Instead of enormous factory farms, a larger volume of small and select holdings that contribute to a greater food pool.

That's probably another naive hope... :/

On the other hand, the fact that thousands of people on BYC are raising fowl or some sort, has got to be something positive in that respect!

I share the hope, although I have serious doubts that large scale, "industrial farm", whether for crops or animal production, will likely disappear anytime soon. It is NOT that the world's population is growing, thus it requires industrial farming, complete with GMO crops, industrial hog and chicken factories, in order to feed the people. This is NOT a matter of necessity on the supply side to meet the demand, although that is the common rationale. This is about economics and profits. The large industrial egg farm is about profit margins. It is also about the consumer's (un)willingness to accept or afford higher food prices.

Clean, fresh, organic food, including chicken and eggs, produced apart from the "factories" would exponentially raise food prices. This explains the lack of concern and the "head in the sand" mentality of the consumer. They do not want to know about food, nor its production. They overwhelmingly are concerned about prices alone. Without also educating the consumer of why their food is so cheap, yes, too cheap, the situation will not change much. Insert fingers in ears and sing, "La la la la la la".

 

[justuschickens59]

Good for you justuschickens59! Hope you are successful. We do have a thriving ex-battery hen adoption network here in UK. All local charities and run on a voluntary basis. There is huge publicity and always a waiting list for would-be-adopters. My hens are ex-bats and when I look at them now, and think back to the days when we first got them, there is no comparison in there health, liveliness and demeanor.

We have also enjoyed the fringe benefit of delicious eggs, because, in the UK, it is customary for the farmers to restock when their birds are about one year to eighteen months. This means they can have years of egg production left, but because that is not 100% reliable, they are discarded. We pay very little for them, a donation of about £5 each is suggested. Far from being antagonistic, the farmers are all for it. They contact the charities direct when they have birds for rehoming, and the charities work hard to preserve a good working relationship with the farmers.

Also, here, major supermarkets visit the farms to ensure that their suppliers are rearing the animals in compliance with the very strict regulations. Animal welfare is very important to the general public in my experience. An example of this is recently, in my county, a farmer sought permission to set up a dairy farm of mega proportions. He intended to have 1000 milking cows. The plans for the housing, milking sheds, barns etc, were the last word in animal welfare provision. The local government, however, refused permission on the grounds that it is not conducive to the well being of cattle, to be in such a large herd!

Well, I got a response today from one of the egg plants. He didn't say no, but he didn't say yes. He said that I wasn't allowed on the plant site because I have chickens and due to diseases, health concerns, etc., which I knew and was prepared for. He said he would have to meet me off site and they had no cages for transporting birds. He also said he was concerned about how the battery hens would fare in a backyard flock, as they are kept in environmentally controlled buildings and have food and water right in front of them at all times.

I wrote him back and said that I would be happy to purchase shipping boxes and have them shipped directly to him, then I could meet him off the premises to pick them up. I told him that I would be doing some homework on battery hen rehab and that I was sure that these hens would adapt and thrive. I gave him an overview of my set-up here. I think that he believed my flock just free-ranged and were left to fend for themselves.

He did say it would be a litte while before any hens were available, and that he hoped we could work something out between now and then. Sooooooooooo, I'm cautiously optimistic. I am wondering if I could call on you for direction and/or information, or if you could direct me to a site that has information on rehabbing battery hens? I would be ever so appreciative. THANKS !!

 

[GardenerGal]

Fred's Hens,

You're probably quite right about typical consumers caring more about cheap food, than wholesomely produced food. The supermarkets here sels "battery" eggs for 99 cents a dozen, which would be impossible for a conscientious "green" farm to compete with.

It is, of course, all about profit on the production end, and about cheapness on the consumer end. And that's the problem -- we're a consumer-based society, which is not sustainable for the long run because it is built on a false economy that will eventually collapse. If we (both corporations and consumers) cared more about sustainable productivity, and about goodness and wholesomeness instead of fatter profits, convenience and cheapness, all our industries wouldn't be in China and other low-wage, cheap-goods-producing countries.

I fear the increasing power of mega-corporations such as Monsanto and Cargill who already wield so much control over the world's food sources, from seeds to finished food products. In the enormity of their power, increasing the cage size of laying hens seems like less than a drop of water in the vast ocean, but perhaps it is at least a small start to re-injecting a kernal of ethical behavior into the corporate works.