HENS IN BAD CONDITIONS!!!!

[baymule]

I didn't watch it, I'm on satellite internet and my usage is metered. It was taking a long time to load, so I clicked it off. Can you tell me about it?

 

[NH Homesteader]

These kind of stories are the reason why I used to be a vegetarian, and why I now raise my own meat/eggs. It's really terrible.

 

[Swede]

I've been supporting an international animal charity that is campaigning to end stuff like this for years now. They've had some success In the meantime, I'd suggest do your little bit to help bring about change and encourage people to keep their own chickens and sell surplus eggs, where they can. I've talked a few people into starting their own little egg businesses. They have been successful

Every hen they keep is a hen spared from the battery system. Every customer they get is one less for the factory farms. Every egg they sell is one less needed from the factory farms. Drops in a dam, but it adds up and it does make a difference, however small.

You really are a great person
We need more people like you here!

Hope everyone understands that #CHICKENSSHOULDBEFREE!!

I want this to get featured so Everyone can see it and get their own chickens!
Those people who abuse chickens have a special place in hell

 

[sumi]

I'll private message you a link to the website of the charity I work with. They're great! They ask for donations sometimes, but mostly they are just happy to have you put word out and send emails to prime ministers and governments of countries asking them to change the laws regulating their country's farming practices. Some already did

 

[baymule]

At least they gas them. A lot of places grind them alive. They are working towards being able to sex the eggs before they hatch in the US, and only allow the females to hatch. It will be interesting to see how that goes.

Reckon this is where the "chicken" in dog food comes from?

 

[CrealCritter]

Dear Mrs/Miss DarkRaven thank you for posting this. It's a reminder to me as one of the reasons we gave up small town life for the country.

I love my chickens, they are well cared for, have a big fenced sunny yard to do what chickens do all day long, they have plenty of shade when they get too hot. There coup has a fan that runs constantly in the summer pulling in fresh cool air. Their coup has plenty of perch and nesting space. I feed them good quality feed from a drop box feeder that holds 100lbs of feed and has never once ran dry. They constantly have fresh water with added organic apple cider vinegar when they get thirsty. My grand daughter loves on them most everyday and they flock to her and jump in her arms so they can be loved by a 2 1/2 year old girl.

In return they provide my entire family with fresh delicious eggs and delicious meat. And that's just one of the many reasons I've gone country.

I didn't watch the video - I've seen many chicken factory videos like it before. If consumers only truly knew what they were eating - it might change their mind and factory farms might have to change their ways. Sadly money talks and when consumers protest by not buying a product it usually forces change - It's sad, very sad indeed.

 

[Mini Horses]

DarkRaven -- question for you regarding the males...what would you suggest as a method to handle all the non-egg laying birds?

First -- I DO NOT agree with the manner than hens are handled from day one to the end. The caging is not acceptable. Crowding & filth beyond belief, not acceptable....and so forth. It is appalling!

But hatcheries sell primarily pullets. We all know that not every egg contains a female chick. Many laying breeds do not make a good meat bird. They have excess at hatch. IMO gassing is a more humane way of ending life than macerating.

On our farms we can raise them, give them humane care and butchering. We are less concerned with a cost factor. We still face the matter of "we wanted pullets" -- excess roos create issues in our flocks, can't keep them all. Some farms butcher older hens or even those at age "X or X".

Commercially, if raised to butcher, feed costs outweigh sale income and that is a fact. I'm curious as to what would be options for these little male chicks.

Some of mine enjoying several acres of space...

 

[Beekissed]

We charged $2/dozen up until feed costs went up, then we charged $3. We could charge $4 but we don't. We try to offset the cost of feed as much as possible, because otherwise we simply would have fewer chickens and spend less on feed.

Part of the problem is that no one (well not many) would donate to raise chickens for slaughter.

I bet they would if they thought that food was going towards rescue animals, though, wouldn't they? Think of the potential, though....rescued male birds being raised for the hungry and homeless in this country. Good done in two ways, just needs a voice and a campaign strategy, but it's hard to get people on board for feeding the hungry humans and much, much easier to get them to respond to ads of puppies on big chains in a dirty back yard.

That's just the way of the world now days and it's sad, but I don't see a change coming any time too soon. I'm thinking if they were grinding up puppies and kittens and feeding them back to the adult rescued animals in the shelters there would be a greater response to the issue.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yeah I posted that a couple pages ago. Isn't it cool?

 

[Hinotori]

I had raised prices up to $3 dollars a few years ago when the feed prices were up. It was costing me $2.20 something for a dozen eggs and the carton. I'm back down to $2.75. I don't raise the super heavy layers like leghorns. I have blue egg layers who give 4 eggs a week on average. They also do not do well on the much cheaper layer feed. 16% protein has them ripping each others feathers out to eat as well as lower egg production. The 20% feed is more expensive. As for cartons, most of the time if I get them back, they aren't in usable condition. We don't have to have an egg sellers license for off farm sales, but we must still meet certain requirements. Such is the costs for blue eggs. I saw blue in one of the stores here once. They wanted $8 a dozen. I choked.

This is why I've gone more to selling silkie pullets and eating the cockerels. I can get $10-15 for a cull pullet and $25-30 for a show prospect, depending on age.