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McDonald's Corp. and Target said Friday that they had booted a Minnesota-based egg supplier in the wake of an undercover video documenting alleged animal abuse. The hidden-camera video was shot by the Chicago animal rights group Mercy for Animals at facilities of Sparboe Farms, the nation's fifth-largest egg producer. Taken in Minnesota, Iowa and Colorado, the video portrays crowded cages common in the egg industry, but also shows one worker swinging a chicken by a rope or chain and another stuffing a hen in a co-worker's pants pocket. Sparboe was also cited this week by federal food regulators for serious...

Enlarge Image Turn it on. A fused human egg cell and skin cell form an early embryo that turns on the skin cell's green fluorescent protein on day 4 of development and forms a blastocyst by day 6. Credit: Noggle et al., Nature 478 (6 October 2011) Researchers have found a new way to turn adult cells into embryonic stem (ES) cells: using human eggs, or oocytes. The feat comes after more than a decade of failed attempts, and it is still a work in progress. The resulting stem cells are not normal; they carry the genomes of both...

The educrats strike again, and make themselves look ridiculous again, according to a 16 year old student identified only as Jessica, who volunteered to do a project at a local elementary school, supplying plastic eggs filled with jellybeans. From MyNorthwest.com: "I went to the teacher to get her approval and she wanted to ask the administration to see if it was okay," Jessica explained. "She said that I could do it as long as I called this treat 'spring spheres.' I couldn't call them Easter eggs.

Goose Has No Mate, Deer May Be Protecting Nest BUFFALO, N.Y. -- An unusual springtime friendship between a deer and a nesting goose appears to have blossomed inside a cemetery in Buffalo, N.Y. For the past week or so, the deer has been standing near an urn where the goose has taken up residence, positioning itself between the urn and any passing car or foot traffic. Craig Cygan noticed the unlikely pair during his regular patrols with his goose-chasing border collies. He says there is no mate around the goose and he believes the deer has taken over the job...

February is done and I have tallied numbers for my backyard coop egg production for the month. I recorded my 2010 egg production on a different thread here... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2618506/posts JAN 2011 128 Eggs 4.129/Day A.E.: 62.37 G 7983 G. Total 281.592 Oz. 17.6 lbs. Feb 2011 133 eggs 4.75/Day A.E.: 62.21 G 8274 G. Total 291.857 Oz. 18.24 lbs. NOTES: * A.E.= Average Egg (Weight in Grams) * 1 Oz.= 28.3495 Grams

Gov't Research Also Shows Them Much Higher in Vitamin D; Dietitian: Credit Healthier Animal Feed, in Part(CBS) If you like eggs, this is good news: A new government study finds they're actually 14 percent lower in cholesterol and 64 percent higher in vitamin D than previously thought. Registered Dietitian Cynthia Sass stopped by the "The Early Show" Tuesday to explain what this may mean for your health. What caused this change in cholesterol and vitamin D levels? Sass, the author of "Cinch!: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches," told "Early Show" co-anchor Chris Wragge the saying "You are what...

I got this e-mail today from Honeyville Farms: As many of you know we have been out of stock on our #10 cans of Powdered Whole Eggs and Egg Whites for about 3 months. This has been as a result of working with the USDA on plant and label approval with new stricter requirements with respect to eggs. We've endured numerous delays and setbacks throughout the process. About a week ago we had received approval to begin Production. We did so and even had product on UPS trailers ready to be picked up. We got a call from the USDA...

http://www.wimp.com/livingland/

Elizabeth Lampert’s daughter, Siena, wanted a horse. “But that would have been expensive,” says Lampert, the owner of a public-relations agency just outside San Francisco. Instead she went to a local hay-and-feed store and bought the 10-year-old a pair of chickens. “Then Siena thought they were getting lonely, so we got three more.” Lampert pays her daughter $2 a day to feed them, herd them back into their coop every night, and collect their eggs, generally two or three a day. “The eggs are amazing,” Lampert says. “They taste rich and creamy. The yolk—it’s very orange. Siena used to ask...

Now that October is closing out, I have tallied my numbers and thought it might be interesting to discuss egg production year to date in our Chicken McMansion. June 2010: 2 eggs; 84 grams total; 2.963 oz.; .185 lbs July 2010: 86 eggs; 4415 grams total; 155.735 oz.; 9.733 lbs August 2010: 154 eggs; 8117 grams total; 286.319 oz; 17.895 lbs September 2010: 134 eggs; 7512 grams total; 264.978 oz.; 16.561 lbs October 2010: 140 eggs; 8923 grams total; 314.749 oz.; 19.67 lbs. To date, our coop has produced a total of 516 eggs weighing 64.044 pounds. (One ounce is...

A month before the massive salmonella outbreak in eggs was discovered, one Democratic politician was warning another Democrat of the inherent dangers of holding up the "Food Safety Enhancement Act," legislation which very well could have reduced the harm of such an outbreak. A recall on eggs nationwide was announced after hundreds of people were sickened by salmonella that was found on the shells of the eggs. One benefit of the Food Safety Enhancement Act is that it will allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to order a mandatory recall of foods that are suspected to be tainted. Currently,...

What could contaminate the feed that caused the salmonella egg outbreak? How about feeding the chickens back their own manure and litter? If you think that that is far fetched, read here and here. The word "by-product" starts to take on a different meaning. Not only do chickens get fed chicken litter, but chicken litter is also fed to cows.

Eggs from the two Iowa farms at the heart of a salmonella scare could still make it into your shopping basket — but not in the way you'd think. The producers responsible for a recall of some 550 million potentially tainted eggs have found another outlet for the inventory that just keeps coming: They’ll turn them into liquid eggs used in everything from cookies and cakes to egg substitutes and pet food. Patricia El-Hinnawy, a spokeswoman for the federal Food and Drug Administration, confirmed Wednesday that Wright County Eggs and Hillandale Farms will send ongoing supplies of eggs from laying...

Article posted on Drudge (that I cannot seem to copy) mentions that the House, in July 2009, passed a food safety bill, but the Senate, and especially Harry Reid, has consistently side-lined it and refuses to vote on it. And THAT is why Obama cannot recall these bad eggs as quickly as he would like. I knew there was stink behind this.

(NaturalNews) It's always amusing to see how quickly consumers can be worked up into a false fear frenzy by health authorities. We saw it last year with the overhyped H1N1 swine flu scare which was fanned into a flaming fear fest by WHO advisors on the take from vaccine manufacturers. Now we're getting a new round of fear-mongering from many of the same sources who are warning us about salmonella contaminated eggs. According to mainstream news sources, a massive 380-million-egg recall has been announced, and these eggs are all so incredibly dangerous that you have to immediately remove them from...

Austin Jack Decoster has a history of breaking good agricultural practices. A farm in Turner, Maine was described as a sweatshop, deplorable and unsafe. A fine of $2 million was levied on him. On to Iowa where he was tagged a "habitual violator" and not allowed to start up any new farms.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100823/ap_on_bi_ge/us_tainted_eggs

Jack DeCoster, the owner of the company at the center of one of the largest egg recalls in history, is no stranger to controversy. Jack DeCoster heads to the courtroom in the Wright County Court house to testify in defense of his family's hog confinement facilities in Clarion, Iowa, in this file photo. He's been involved in legal cases that have forced him to settle with the federal government for hiring illegal immigrants, for tolerating sexual harassment at his company, and has faced a litany of animal cruelty charges. DeCoster has also paid millions of dollars in fines and settlements...

Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton or printed on the case label. However, not all affected brands will be printed in the same order. Typically, the plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. In most cases the Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-1720 223. If your carton has a combination of numbers that matches the affected plant number AND Julian date, your eggs are affected in the recall. Using the example above, P-1720 223 may appear on some cartons as 223 #1720, 1720 223 or...

Much of the investigation so far has been centered on restaurants in California, Colorado and Minnesota where sick people ate. They are not necessarily breakfast places — it's possible some got sick from eating a salad dressing that had a raw egg in it, or eating soup with an undercooked egg dropped in, Braden said. In one state, a cluster of illnesses seem to stem from meringue pie, health officials said. Eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, were linked to several illnesses in the three states. The eggs were distributed around the country and packaged under the names...

The Wright County Egg company, based in Iowa, has issued a recall of 228 million eggs because of reports of salmonella-related outbreaks in several Western states. The eggs are sold to contract companies including Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms and Kemps, according to several news reports.

WASHINGTON – An Iowa egg producer is recalling 228 million eggs after being linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said eggs from Wright County Egg in Galt, Iowa, were linked to several illnesses in Colorado, California and Minnesota. The CDC said about 200 cases of the strain of salmonella linked to the eggs were reported weekly during June and July, four times the normal number of such occurrences.

An egg recall is taking place upon recognition of a potential salmonella contamination. Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa said the affected eggs were shipped to food wholesalers, distribution centers and food service companies. Along with Minnesota, the recall affects Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado and California. There have been seven confirmed cases of salmonella in Minnesota linked to the multistate recall of eggs produced by the Iowa company, said Dough Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health. Four of those cases originated at the Muffeletta restaurant in St. Paul last month; the other three were traced...

Scientists have stumbled across the first example of a photosynthetic organism living inside a vertebrate's cells. The discovery is a surprise because the adaptive immune systems of vertebrates generally destroy foreign biological material. In this case, however, a symbiotic alga seems to be surviving unchallenged — and might be giving its host a solar-powered metabolic boost. Algae cohabit with salamander embryos in their eggs — and inside their cells.T. LEVIN/PHOTOLIBRARY.COM The embryos of the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) have long been known to enjoy a mutualistic relationship with the single-celled alga Oophila amblystomatis. The salamanders' viridescent eggs are coloured by...

Welcome to summertime! I thought I would share my week, as it has absolutely nothing to do with any of the bothersome things going on in the world. The counter is pretty full as you can see. I hit the local farmer's market yesterday early, and scored 2 15 pound bags of freshly picked pickling cucumbers, half a flat of local peaches since they are simply outstanding this year, and there is one day's take out of the henhouse. The cucumbers were picked right after dawn and were in the jars cooling by noon...it's hard to get 'em fresher than...

Every five years, the federal Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services revise their Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a publication that sets the direction for federal nutrition-education programs. In an age when aggressive government agencies in places like New York City seek a greater hand in shaping Americans’ diets, the next set of guidelines, published later this year, could prove more controversial than usual because increasing scientific evidence suggests that some current federal recommendations have simply been wrong. Will a public-health establishment that has been slow to admit its mistakes over the years acknowledge the new research...

In hopes of better understanding the stages of fetal development in sharks, researchers from Brazil's Guaruja Aquarium have literally opened a window into the once elusive world of shark eggs. For researchers, this new, unobscured peek into the humble beginnings of sharks may offer insights into how best to preserve them, many of which are threatened with extinction. For the rest of us who may only be acquainted with full-grown version, it just goes to show that the ocean's most fearsome predator started out as, well, one mean-looking little shark baby. Shark egg capsules, sometimes known as 'devil's purses', look...

Meteorologist Angela Hutti stepped outside of her front door a few weeks ago and was greeted by a small momma duck who seemed to be scoping out the landscape. A few days later, she woke up and there was a nest and an one little egg. 11 eggs later, Indigo, as Angela has named her due to the blue feathers on her face, is almost ready for the eggs to hatch. You can watch the process as the duck patiently sits on her eggs throughout the day. Take a look at our duck cam via UStream!

KIEV, Russia, April 29 (UPI) -- Eggs were hurled during a rowdy Russian parliamentary debate during the ratification of a Russian-Ukrainian naval base deal, an official said. Parliamentary Speaker Lolodymyr Lytvyn said Thursday in Kiev the Ukrainian deputies who threw eggs at him and engaged in fistfights in the chamber will be required to pay for any damage although he said, "The moral and political damage cannot be compensated for," RIA Novosti reported. Lytvyn said the chamber suffered much damage, including voting equipment vandalism. Several deputies sought medical help after the debate, Lytvyn said, declining to provide further details. The...

Angry outbursts over agreement allowing Russian Navy to stay.Politicians pelted Ukrainian lawmakers with a smoke bomb and eggs as the parliament approved an agreement that will keep the Russian navy based in the Crimean Peninsula. Chamber speaker Volodymyr Litvyn was forced to take shelter under his umbrella as he was hit by eggs after deputies from newly elected President Viktor Yanukovich's coalition approved the extension to the Russian Black Sea Fleet's base in Crimea. Ukrainian nationalists, led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and former President Viktor Yushchenko, regard the base as a betrayal of Ukraine's national interests. They wanted...

New research reports that eating protein in the morning helps manage hungerPark Ridge, Ill. (April 6, 2010) – A new study demonstrates that eating protein-rich eggs for breakfast reduces hunger and decreases calorie consumption at lunch and throughout the day. The study, published in the February issue of Nutrition Research, found that men who consumed an egg-based breakfast ate significantly fewer calories when offered an unlimited lunch buffet compared to when they ate a carbohydrate-rich bagel breakfast of equal calories.(1) This study supports previous research which revealed that eating eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet helped overweight...

Cars were parked on the side of the highway for miles before the event location. After the event, traffic to Las Vegas was so backed up that it took us over an hour and a half to go five miles. I don’t know the total number of people that were in attendance. I do know that the valley floor was packed full of people. The surrounding hilIs were packed full of people. The ridges above the hills were lined with people, and vehicles. People had camped out in RVs, trailers, motor homes, tents and cars. It would have taken a...

Human eggs and sperm have been grown in the laboratory in research which could change the face of parenthood. It paves the way for a cure for infertility and could help those left sterile by cancer treatment to have children who are biologically their own. But it raises a number of moral and ethical concerns. These include the possibility of children being born through entirely artificial means, and men and women being sidelined from the process of making babies. Opponents argue that it is wrong to meddle with the building blocks of life and warn that the advances taking place...

The egg was being moved to a quarantine section of the Blue Planet Aquarium in Cheshire from the Caribbean Reef display. But the shark, which is just 4ins (10cm) long and has been named Ariel after the Little Mermaid character, was born during medical checks. Divers who survived night in shark-infested waters have to pay for their rescue Kelly Timmins, a diver, said: "We're just hoping it doesn't bond with the first thing it sees, which was me." "It is pretty unique for a shark to be born out of the water," Ms Timmins told the BBC. "Ariel's doing well...

Dear Martha: I'd like to raise chickens. Which breed of chicken is best for egg production, and do you have any tips? A: It's not so much about the breed of chicken as it is about how you're going to keep them. You absolutely must have a well-fenced yard, so raccoons and other animals don't get the chickens; the fence should extend 12 to 14 inches into the ground. The coop will need electricity to run a light and keep their water from freezing in winter; you can also get a heated water dispenser. I let my chickens out every...

California voters freed the state's egg-laying hens last fall, but Proposition 2 left a big loophole: Supermarkets could still sell eggs laid by caged birds in other states. Now, animal-welfare advocates are backing legislation requiring every egg sold in California to be from a cage-free hen. Assembly Bill 1437 would greatly expand the scope of the state's ban on standard egg-laying cages, which is scheduled to take effect in 2015. Economists predict Proposition 2, on its own, will drive up imports of cheap, conventionally produced eggs, pushing many in-state farms out of business. If AB 1437 passes, though, it would...

Just before the November Elections for a light break I asked FRs to share their method for the perfect boiled egg. It was a fun and lively discussion. I recently found this method from Jacques Pepin, the French guy who hung out with Julia Childs. I wanted to share his method with you. Try it exactly as he says. Ordinarily, we Americans are used to eating hard boil eggs that are improperly cooked. The white is hard and there's this blue tinge around the yolk which is sulfur and what gives the eggs their odor and bad taste. We don't...

A woman from Somerset discovered another egg inside the boiled egg she was preparing to eat for her breakfast. Ann Lewis, 47, from Taunton, said she had eaten plenty of "double-yolkers" before but that she was very surprised at the unusual find. Douglas Russell, from the Natural History Museum, said: "A complete egg found within a complete egg is relatively rare." Ms Lewis, who works as a waitress, bought the egg from a local farm. Experts puzzled Douglas Russell, speaking about the phenomenon in the New Scientist, said: "As the curator of the British Natural History Museum egg collection, I've...

If you picked up a carton of eggs at the store this week, they probably set you back about $1 or $1.50. The organic, cage-free kind costs more like $3. But some urban and suburbanites are skipping the store entirely when it comes to things like eggs and honey and turning instead to their own backyards. Whether from tighter food budgets or local-eating ideals, more and more people are petitioning their cities to allow small animal husbandry.

Short on cash, some put a price on themselves Lean times spurs interest in payment for sperm, eggs, plasma — even hair By JoNel Aleccia Fri., Dec. 5, 2008 Before this fall, it might not have occurred to Michael Aylesworth to swap his sperm for money. But faced with rising bills, a dwindling budget and a fractured economy, the 30-year-old Seattle man took stock of some very personal assets — and decided to sell. “I did it because I’m a student and I’m always broke,” said Aylesworth, who spent several delicate minutes in a small room at the Seattle Sperm...

Eggs tainted with the industrial chemical melamine were detected last month in the same northeast Chinese city from where contaminated ones sold in Hong Kong originated, an official said Monday. The safety inspector from Dalian city's food and drug department said tests were carried out on eggs for melamine in the wake of the scandal about the widespread use of the chemical in Chinese dairy products. "Agricultural authorities carried out some checks into eggs after the (tainted) milk powder incident was disclosed, the official, who declined to be named, told AFP by phone. Some eggs were found to be tainted...

"Fraud in science is a major problem." So begins "DDT: A Case Study in Scientific Fraud" by the late J. Gordon Edwards, Professor Emeritus of Entomology at San Jose State University in San Jose, California. The article was published shortly after his death last July in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Fall, 2004. It is based in part on his 34-page manuscript discussing fraud in acid rain, ozone holes, ultraviolet radiation, carbon dioxide, global warming, and pesticides, particularly DDT. His publications distinguish Edwards as the leading authority on the environmental science and politics of DDT. In World War...

LANSDALE, Pa. — A suburban Philadelphia couple is accused of damaging the property of more than 400 people during an 18-month egging spree.

How to Boil an Egg So That It Peels Easily Cooked properly, an egg can be peeled easily and quickly. Steps Place your eggs into a saucepan . Add enough cool water to cover the eggs by at least 3 inches (8cm). Put the pot on a burner and set the temperature at high. When the water boils, lower the temp, and let the egg be in boiling water for 10 minutes. Turn off the range element you were using. Let eggs sit in hot water for 2 minutes. After the eggs have sat in the hot water for 2...

Can't remember if an egg is fresh or hard boiled? Just spin the egg. If it wobbles, it's raw. If it spins easily, it's hard boiled. A fresh egg will sink in water, a stale one will float. Eggs contain all the essential protein, minerals and vitamins, except Vitamin C. But egg yolks are one of few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D. The colour of the egg shell is not related to quality, nutrients, flavour or cooking characteristics. White-shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and white ear lobes. Brown-shelled eggs are produced by hens with red...

A worker in the Mahmudiyah Chicken Hatchery sets eggs into trays April 21 to begin the incubation process. U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Christopher McKenna, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT). FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAHMUDIYAH — Eight months of preparation and planning paid off when the Mahmudiyah Chicken Hatchery received the first of three shipments of eggs for incubation April 21. The first batch contained 35,000 eggs shipped to Iraq from Holland. “The purpose in bringing in eggs from Holland is that they have a faster growing rate and they’re healthier than chickens from within this area,� said Maj. Alaric...

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, April 11, 2008 – Through the efforts of a Multinational Division Baghdad soldier, deployed troops can once again enjoy fresh eggs as one of their breakfast options after the nutritious staple was banned from Iraq for a year. Fresh eggs are prepared at the Ironhorse Dining Facility for soldiers and civilians at Camp Liberty, Iraq, April 7, 2008. Eggs had not been allowed into Iraq after a March 2007 bird flu outbreak in Kuwait. The efforts of Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sabrina Nero brought eggs back to patrons of the dining facilities all over southwest...

This is an animation of a Red Tailed Hawk, known to be a (Chicken Hawk), and it’s songs with humor.

Gainesville -- Officials at Mar-Jac Poultry said they were shocked to find out Thursday that federal officials suspect the company might have ties to terrorist funding. Company Vice President Doug Carnes said at least a half-dozen U.S. Customs agents spent all day Wednesday gathering financial records and charitable contribution files. They were "real nice, professional and complimentary," he said, but they didn't disclose the nature of their visit. It was only on Thursday that Carnes was alerted by company officials in Virginia as to what the agents were looking for. "I'm shocked. I'm in disbelief. I've worked for them for...