Egg laying madness, the free range dream, of the big super markets!
IS time to tell you what I think of the super markets free range well all the big names too... We went to a very clean and new looking barn, in the middle of the country side surrounded by fields, 10,000 birds were housed here... all down the one side of the barn they had a metal slatted area, about 15 foot wide, then they had electric fenced off and netted small paddocks, all had no grass on, just dirt and stones with shelters on for rainy days, the chickens all hung out on the metal slats, mostly..outside they had a large metal cattle trailer that was stuffed full of birds, we started to load them, I couldn't believe the birds were in the condition they were, bald and patchy, totally anemic looking, with most of them having no colour to there combs, a lot had, bleeding and saggy vents..~(where the egg come from) one had a slice radiating out from hers, it must have been so pain full to lay, just like an appeasiotamy.. I also have never seen hens bleeding from there vents, and grazed from there too...they were bleeding from being attacked by each other, they were so stressed and panicky... the lady explained they were 12 mnths old, and have to be culled or rehomed at that point due to not being able to carry on.. i thought only battery hens would look so ruff after a period of intensive laying, not, free range birds, I'm not implying there was any cruelty to the birds, just the system I believe to not be as it should...
So what shocked me????
Well meaning, ethical shoppers are being duped into a false sense of security and helping this continue!!! What I imagined free range to be and what the super market reality is is quite another... the birds legally have to have 1square meter of land each, could this include the metal slats and the barn?? I wonder!! To me free range is exactly that.. free to range, my hens are free to range, whether that be, on my field of lush green grass, dust bathing under the hedge, or being brave, crossing the road and going onto the neighbours open moor land, being free to scratch the grubs up in my veg patch to be... or going into the forest on safari, hiding under the old roots and laying in peace and quiet... these birds looks tooo tired and stressed, living on there nerves, imagine living with 10,000 panicky women, living in terror, if one became scared the others all followed, they behaved as one...
I wouldn't be surprised if a) they used a light at night to trick them into a 2nd lay thinking thy had had 2 days!! and b) that most of the birds never saw the outside due to be unable to get through the congestion at the metal slatted area... only the brave ones may have fought there way through!!! so I suggest you post and repost this and ask your friends please support your local small holders, buy from the farm gates, there free range eggs, as in my eyes, this practice afore mentioned, is not free range, and should not be supported... Also I went into Tescos yesterday and took a look at there free range eggs, look at the lovely ideal picture on the box, a lovely fluffy, full feathered, non bleeding hen stood free ranging on deep lush grass.... what an ideal... but oh not a reality, yes in reality you can't farm 10,000 chickens on a piece of land and keep it lush and green and expect them all to access it... I am tempted to go back and buy another 100 or so, as Wednesday they are all killed for pet food, Joe's comment.... he said , you know whats the most shocking and upsetting part???? the fact that in 1 month, when they have disinfected and scrubbed the whole unit down, for that is how long it takes... the whole process happens again, and another 10,000 birds will live the free range night mare again!!! Please stop supporting this sham... Please search out your local farmer with truly happy free range birds.. PLEASE.. xx I'm off outside to talk to the girls, to see how many eggs they have given me.... and for there future what lies ahead??? well... I am not going to give them layers pellets, for a few weeks, I wont them to rest, I don't want to force them to lay, I will provide them with grit to help harden the egg shells that they are laying, they, will relax and free range on my farm then i will rehome, them in small numbers to responsible people for £ 5 or £6 each, when they look happy and feathered... i am rehoming some of my original flock so I can keep these new girls as one unit, to avoid any possibility of cross infection, Oh one other note.... I asked at the farm weather they fed antibiotics as a norm to prevent illness, she replied she hadn't had to yet, but that they had them should they need them... I will next post you my experience of visiting a real pig farm who supply Tescos and you will then see the relevance of the anti-biotics issue!! please post and repost.. oh by the way, the ladies that ran the farm, were kind and gentle, they wanted to rehome as many as poss before they were all culled, they showed kindness in all there contact i witnessed with the birds, gently handling them etc, its the big picture i'm angry with, the system, not the individuals who are running it with in the guide lies the RSPCA and others have given them.... and the industry standard
TO SEE THE PICTURES LOOK ON THE WELSH SMALLHOLDER FACE BOOK PAGE and look for the artcile
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