Organic isn't always the best

[zazouse]

free-range livestock are permitted to roam without being fenced in, as opposed to fenced-in

 

[iFairyx]

Its tricky with titles.

In England, you cannot have caged birds anymore, so some farmers took the cages out of the barn and they become 'barn hens', I rehomed some ex-barn hens and the came looking exactly like the ex-batts, free range if it means they are not fenced at all is not good for the hen either, here we have a big fox problem, if we didn't give them an enclosure then the fox would eat them....

Mine are free range in that they have a large area to roam, they are let out around 7am and put to bed around 9.30pm. Sometimes I think you have to make compromises if its in the best interest of the animal. Different places have different standards that have to be met in order to be given a title.... so I guess its always best to research what the rules and regulations are in your area...

Good'luck with your hens, I'm sure that in a couple of weeks they will look completely different.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Organic is not the same since the government got involved, all kinds of loopholes for big Ag. This doesn't mean going organic is not good. I rarely even look at trucked in organic food etc., as I know it is not the organic of old. Free range means nothing in grocery store eggs etc. I will continue feeding organic feed & not use chemicals on my land. I will not buy organic from Big Ag. Glad you will be bringing these girls back to health.

 

[Matthew3590]

Its tricky with titles.

In England, you cannot have caged birds anymore, so some farmers took the cages out of the barn and they become 'barn hens', I rehomed some ex-barn hens and the came looking exactly like the ex-batts, free range if it means they are not fenced at all is not good for the hen either, here we have a big fox problem, if we didn't give them an enclosure then the fox would eat them....

Mine are free range in that they have a large area to roam, they are let out around 7am and put to bed around 9.30pm. Sometimes I think you have to make compromises if its in the best interest of the animal. Different places have different standards that have to be met in order to be given a title.... so I guess its always best to research what the rules and regulations are in your area...

Good'luck with your hens, I'm sure that in a couple of weeks they will look completely different.

I coops with chicken wire around them considered cages?

 

[Oregon Blues]

I don't think the OP means to say that organic is bad. The message to me is that "organic" on the label does not mean the same as "humanely treated"

Egg producers can comply with the letter of the law in a very minimal way and the hens have a hard life. Other egg producers who feed organic might have beautifully cared for hens.

Home chicken raisers who feed organic to get eggs for their own family are most likely to have well cared for birds.

To me, those hens look like they have been living over-crowded and were way under feed. Those are some skinny hens. Living in crowded conditions will cause feather picking. I've never seen a bird look that bad just from molting.

 

[OSUman]

I was just saying that the Organic label didnt mean what I thought it was, I was thinking more of a Salatin style system. I also am not saying that its the organic that causes this, Im just trying to say that there is not as much difference between organic and commercial production.

 

[chickened]

Look at it this way, how many obese organic minded people are out there? If the possibility of starvation from the inability to purchase feed is going to happen it has a higher chance if the feed costs more such as is the case with organic feed versus non organic and you can multiply that factor if you rely on natural foraging in an over crowded situation and deceiving yourself by way of thinking it is adequate. Layers cannot live on grass and bugs alone and produce eggs, try feeding a production hen feed without the stuff needed for egg production and see the laying rate drop and egg shell density lessen.

Organic is usually a selling term used to sell to a particular group of likeminded people. It is not always true in two ways, one, it is a relative term and two, at the chemical level (the level it is absorbed in your digestive system) there is no difference.

 

[iFairyx]

I coops with chicken wire around them considered cages?

The cages that the birds were normally kept in allowed each bird to have about half a page of A4 amount of room each, those kept with other birds often didn't do to well as the birds would peck eachother etc. If they've got enough room to move around freely etc then its not a cage, if they are always indoors then they become 'barn' hens (which isn't really much better).

 

[Cindy in PA]

Look at it this way, how many obese organic minded people are out there? If the possibility of starvation from the inability to purchase feed is going to happen it has a higher chance if the feed costs more such as is the case with organic feed versus non organic and you can multiply that factor if you rely on natural foraging in an over crowded situation and deceiving yourself by way of thinking it is adequate. Layers cannot live on grass and bugs alone and produce eggs, try feeding a production hen feed without the stuff needed for egg production and see the laying rate drop and egg shell density lessen.

Organic is usually a selling term used to sell to a particular group of likeminded people. It is not always true in two ways, one, it is a relative term and two, at the chemical level (the level it is absorbed in your digestive system) there is no difference.

???? Organic only became a "selling term" when the government got in & allowed big Ag in the mix. Buy local and from who you know. If you don't want to spend the money on organic, great. It seems everyone who doesn't agree with organic has to demean it to "justify" their way of thinking.

 

[centrarchid]

I picked up some old hens from an organic farm and I was amazed at the condition of the birds, pictures say it best.

They are in my trailer in this picture.

I have seen birds from non-organic farms look very much the same. Condition is very much as function of intensive production conditions. In the relatvely warm conditions of layer building the near naked appearance may help reduce heat stress. Same birds outside will have exposure issues and in my case be too limited in flight to evade predators.