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Some highlights for you all then. It's not selling anything btw.
"On open-pasture farms around the country, egg-laying hens seem to have it made: an open door offers access into fresh air beyond.
But ultimately, “access to pasture” means just that—the barn door is open, says Kestrel Burcham, a policy director at the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit consumer watchdog group. “It doesn't necessarily mean they're actually using it.”
Many chickens fear open spaces, which leave them vulnerable to predators from above. Unless these open spaces are well-designed with trees, brush cover, or even solar panels, “pasture-raised” hens may never experience the pasture. Still, when it comes to chicken welfare, pasture-raised sets the highest standards, and the label indicates the hens can spend most of their day outside—if they want. ...
“Egg cartons are the most confusing of any livestock products,” Burcham says. (Confused at the grocery store? Here’s how to decode your egg label.)
Take “all-natural.” That label can be applied to chickens that were raised in farms that use battery cages, so long as the product was “minimally processed” in a way that doesn’t “fundamentally alter the product,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Typically that means there are no colors or artificial ingredients added. The words “farm fresh” on an egg carton have no specific meaning at all. ...
Modern domestic chickens are thought to be descendants of the Southeast Asian red junglefowl, which were preyed upon by sky-dwelling predators like raptors. Fearing open spaces, these wild ancestors evolved to seek sheltered habitats, including shrubs and vegetation, forests, and mangroves. Studies suggest that today’s domesticated chickens show the same preferences...
Some grocery stores have recently made commitments to phase out caged eggs by 2025. Stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Costco, and Target are either entirely cage-free or well on their way. “When chickens behave naturally, they naturally lay great eggs,” Whole Foods says on its website.
The Animal Welfare Act, the federal law that regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, and transport, doesn’t cover livestock, which means it’s often up to farmers and consumers to demand better welfare, Burcham says.
“There’s an odd perception that birds are not as complex or sentient as mammals, which isn't accurate,” Burcham says. “They're a very dynamic species and I wish people paid more attention to what makes birds special.”
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