Caged Birds
What They Are and Why They're Better
60% of the World's Egg-Layers are Kept in Cages
60%, 3 out of 5, 6 out of 10. For every non-caged egg-layer, there are 1.5 caged egg-layers. This is the majority.
Concerns with Caged Egg-Layers
- Osteoperosis (brittle bones)
- Feather Loss
- Lack of Sunlight
- Three Times More Likely to Develop Salmonella
Osteoperosis
Lack of movement is a driving force for osteoporosis among caged egg-layers. Also, there are many studies that show that lack of calcium also contributes to osteoporosis. Maybe, in addition to water, chickens should be allowed to drink milk.
Feather Loss
In the caged system, hens are housed side-by-side and often on top or below one another. This can become an issue for hens because they will lose feathers because their neighbors will peck the feathers off of them. This would be a larger issue if chickens were sold for their feathers, like mink are sold for their fur. However, due to the lack of feathers on most eggs, it is not an issue for the industry as much as it is for animal rights activists.
Lack of Sunlight
Everybody loves chicken. People's mouths start to water whenever they see a golden brown, juicy, succulent chicken swimming in chicken broth on commercials. People also enjoy their chicken fried to a golden crisp. For some, the crispier the better.
All of the above statements are true regarding the poultry's broiler division.
For egg layers however, wether or not the chicken is tan does not matter.
Also, it is a known fact that 99 out of 10 chickens whose meat is golden brown and juicy have have been baked. Theirs is not a natural tan produced by the sun or by spray tans.
Salmonella
Salmonella is an issue. I will be the first to say it. However, if properly cooked, the salmonella-causing bacteria will die.
Simply put, cook your eggs.
CONCLUSION
When you crack your eggs, unless the yoke is not wearing an orange or black and white striped coverall, they were not produced in a jailhouse. They were, like 60% of the world's other eggs, produced in a safer and cleaner manner than were the 40% of the world's eggs. Also, if you are an animal rights activist, what are you doing eating eggs?
Benefits of Caged Egg-Layers
- Better for the Chicken
- Improves Quality of Eggs
- Reduce Stress of Chickens
Better for the Chicken
The chicken is separated from its waste as soon as it hits the floor. Simply because the wire floor will allow anything except the egg to fall through. As humans, we flush our toilets which for some, proves to be much more work than we are capable of carrying out. Simply put, chickens have it better than we do when it comes to waste management.
Improves Quality of Eggs
The egg, once released from the hen, begins to roll down, aided by gravity, and gently rolls onto a conveyor belt which then delivers the egg to the next step in the process, cleaning. After the egg is cleaned, graded and shipped, it is then sold to the consumer. There is no removal of feces or urine from the eggshell because the egg is never in contact with either once it is outside of the hen that produced it.
Reduced Stress
Life would be perfect if all we had to do was eat, drink and be merry. Imagine if we did not even have to flush the toilet! Such is the life of the chicken.
What PETA Thinks I do
What the Government Thinks I Do
What I Think I Do
What My Farmer Thinks I Do
What Consumers Think I Do
What I Really Do
Citations
Works Cited
"Hen Housing Advantages." - United Egg Producers. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.
"Welfare Issues for Egg Laying Hens." Welfare Issues with Egg Laying Hens. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.