I am just a bit torn on this issue. I believe that keeping chickens couped up in cages 24/7 and kept in the dark to increase egg production is cruel. If we are going to kill or use animals for the benefit of mankind, we should ensure that those animals are treated humanely.
I’m more than willing to pay double for free range or cage free eggs.
I think California’s position on this is a good position. If people want to sell their eggs in California, they should be required to abide by the same humanitarian laws and animal health laws that California farmers are required to live under.
Meanwhile Calipornia unloads Billions of dollars worth of products at their harbors then sells and ships them from turd world countries built with. child labor under horrific conditions for pennies.
The big earthquake can’t come soon enough.
Idiots like you should go raise your own chickens!
“I am just a bit torn on this issue. I believe that keeping chickens couped up in cages 24/7 and kept in the dark to increase egg production is cruel. If we are going to kill or use animals for the benefit of mankind, we should ensure that those animals are treated humanely.”
I have to agree with you on this one. If 200 sq.in. is TRIPLE the industry standard, then what’s the industry standard? 6x8 inch cages? That’s not right.
200 sq. in. is around 12x16. That seems a little more reasonable for a full-grown hen.
Farmers might find that production increases with more humane treatment.
I want to kill animals and eat them. I don’t want them to suffer.
I understand that business owners and farmers do what’s right for the bottom line and they know their business better than anyone.
But we regulate these industries because people don’t always do the right thing.
I know a good number of working poor in our area. They refuse to take government handouts but they get by with 2-4 minimum wage jobs and lots of hours per week.
There are people out there who need eggs to cost a dollar a dozen and milk to cost 2.50 a gallon. (They also need gas prices to stay low.)
There are also small farmers out there on limited acreage who can do the fence row to fence row thing with huge acreage, huge machines, and huge debt. Many of them turn to organic or free range products because they can charge a much higher price. But, it's affluent people who are generally the ones who buy higher priced items.
Others of them turn toward mass production of something like chickens that can turn out large quantities in a limited number of buildings.
PETA hasn't taken out after the catfish farmers yet, but imagine how many fish must be crowded into their ponds and fed those pellets. As soon as someone can get a catfish on Letterman that will do tricks in a fish bowl, then PETA will be all over catfish fillets.