Run Clips

[Martin B]

Hi,

 

We are doing Battery Farming in school and I am so used to saying why it is bad I can not remember what is good about it?

 

If you were the farmer why would you say it was good?

 

Price?

 

 

Let me know,

 

Martin

 

 

If you wish to protect you anonymoisuytjsy (spelling) let me know!

[The Dogmother]

Anonymity!

[little chickadee]

Hi - I expect that they would say that they can fit more hens in less space (they stack the cages) They need less looking after as everything is automated including egg collection. They use all their energy making eggs?

I don't know it all sounds a bit lame, but I know you have to present both sides in an argument. Hope this helps vaguely!

[Popcorn]

Hi,

 

We are doing Battery Farming in school and I am so used to saying why it is bad I can not remember what is good about it?

 

The reason you can't remember the good points Martin, is because there aren't any.

 

There are points 'for' the Farmer, and they generally all boil down to egg production and profit. I can't see what other 'good' can be attributed.

 

Should make an interesting debate in the classroom though, especially as you have so much background knowledge now and have become an expert. Good luck.

[Krysia]

Although like you I don't agree with it,

 

they can make more money from less space making cheaper eggs and more 'happy' customers ie supermarkets that just want cheap cheap cheap goods to make a HUGE profit.

 

Good luck, let us know how you get on

[Louise]

*ducks and waits for the fall out*

 

Easier to spot unwell birds

 

Reduces Bullying

 

Easier to vaccinate/treat birds

 

Price

 

Less wasteful of food

 

Less damage to eggs (all fall onto conveyer none laid outside a nest to get squished)

 

Control over what bird eats ie no nasty 'icky' bugs etc

 

Less labour intensive therefore less people to pay

 

Sheds can be closed at a moments notice if there is disease and fumigated - harder if they have a pasture area.

 

I hope you all know I am being devils advocate here to help Martin I am not condoning it I just know why it is done

 

I'll be back when the dust settles

[Helly Welly]

Try this link to a battery farm

 

http://www.saudereggs.com/caged_hens.html

[Guest]

Try this link to a battery farm

 

http://www.saudereggs.com/caged_hens.html

 

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, how dare they use the word "comfortable"

 

they're also very selective with their photos, we've all seen the state some brids end up in, what a load of ridiculous selective propaganda!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

http://www.saudereggs.com/caged_hens.html

 

"with plenty of space for comfortable movement and easy access to food andwater"

 

What?!! Plenty of space?!! (And we worry about the number we keep in an eglu & run.)

[Martin B]

Thanks.

 

I've been talked into doing a talk on my own about what I do with bhwt now by my teacher!

 

Martin

[Ain't Nobody Here]

BTW Martin, what are you doing on the omlet forum at 1.25 on a school day?! Haven't you got a bike shed to smoke behind or a window to kick a football through?

[Lovemychooks]

What are these people on about:

 

this system is actually designed for the welfare of the birds.................HOW STUPID ARE THESE PEOPLE

 

[tenzin]

It's wrong SIMPLE AS THAT .......................................££££££££££££

[The Dogmother]

Too right!

 

Martin, you'll be fine Hon.

[Guest]

I think one of the main benefits of caged birds as opposed to free-ranging is down to the fox. A farmer can have his flock decimated and all his profits gone so easily if his birds are foxed. Locked in cages, this cannot happen.

 

I have spoken to a farmer (well the farmer's brother!) who can't see any sense in providing easy food for foxes. He says that is not the reason he keeps hens.

[Guest]

I think one of the main benefits of caged birds as opposed to free-ranging is down to the fox. A farmer can have his flock decimated and all his profits gone so easily if his birds are foxed. Locked in cages, this cannot happen.

 

I have spoken to a farmer (well the farmer's brother!) who can't see any sense in providing easy food for foxes. He says that is not the reason he keeps hens.

 

then go for the barn option then, there's no excuse to stuff intelligent, sentient, feeling, sweet creatures into tiny cages! Free range farmers make a profit or they wouldn't do it so the fox issue can't be that major. I'll try and find out what they do to protect their flocks...

[Cate in NZ]

Immi did this exact same debate last year. All of the class wanted to to do the "Against" battery hens bit, despite several of them admitting to eating battery eggs ("it's what my Mum always buys ), so she, who has helped out at many a rescue, kept hens and won't touch a battery egg in anything, argued on behalf of the battery hen industry.

I think she ended up going for several of the points that Louise mentioned, easier to protect from disease etc, and of course economy. Whatever we think, and believe me I think plenty , if people out there actively choose to buy cheap food then there will be a demand for battery eggs, and better British than imported. We need to try to change the eating habits of the nation, and sometimes I despair of that

It's an interesting debate though Martin, good on you for taking it on and promoting the work of the BHWT............. maybe if we can enlighten some of the young people they will think harder when they come to do their own food shopping.

[Guest]

I think one of the main benefits of caged birds as opposed to free-ranging is down to the fox. A farmer can have his flock decimated and all his profits gone so easily if his birds are foxed. Locked in cages, this cannot happen.

 

I have spoken to a farmer (well the farmer's brother!) who can't see any sense in providing easy food for foxes. He says that is not the reason he keeps hens.

 

then go for the barn option then, there's no excuse to stuff intelligent, sentient, feeling, sweet creatures into tiny cages! Free range farmers make a profit or they wouldn't do it so the fox issue can't be that major. I'll try and find out what they do to protect their flocks...

 

they protect them with high electric fencing, I'd rather pay a bit more for my eggs to cover the cost of this than know my eggs had come from a hen suffering in a cramped cage- even barn eggs are a Better option as at least the birds have room to move around, dust bathe, perch etc even if they don't actually get to go outside.

 

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR CAGED/BATTERY FARMING EXCEPT PROFIT!

[Guest]

ginette, ask that same farmer why they don't switch to barn kept chickens in that case?

 

I assume he's not particularly bothered about the welfare of his chickens.

 

If his objection is foxes then he can't object to converting to a barn system.

[Martin B]

I think I'm getting the point across.

 

I've had 2 people come up to me this week to tell me they were doing the food shopping and picked free-range eggs because of me.

 

Martin

[Krysia]

Yeah!!! Well done!

 

If everyone convinved 2 people and they convinced another 2 we could soon have taken the world over

[kissinuk]

Did anyone else read the link off that other site..... be prepared to be mad if like me you are veggie:-

 

http://www.cgfi.org/materials/articles/2005/aug_01_05.htm

[Snowy]

That really is a ridiculous article isn't it. Saying that hens wouldn't lay if they weren't happy is like saying that a human baby wouldn't be born if a woman were in jail. How on earth do they think the hen can control it's ovulation? Anyone with an ounce of intelligence can see that it is a very poorly researched and nonsensical attempt to justify battery farming. Not worth the paper it's written on.

[Couperman]

Martin,

 

This sounds like it could be an interesting talk, you could talk for hours about the evils of caged hen egg production, followed by minutes of why it shouldn't happen and the good work of th BHWT. Yes that was the right way round. You should take a couple of ex-batts along if possible.

 

Good luck,

 

Kev.

[bronze]

I think one of the main benefits of caged birds as opposed to free-ranging is down to the fox. A farmer can have his flock decimated and all his profits gone so easily if his birds are foxed. Locked in cages, this cannot happen.

 

I have spoken to a farmer (well the farmer's brother!) who can't see any sense in providing easy food for foxes. He says that is not the reason he keeps hens.

 

then go for the barn option then, there's no excuse to stuff intelligent, sentient, feeling, sweet creatures into tiny cages! Free range farmers make a profit or they wouldn't do it so the fox issue can't be that major. I'll try and find out what they do to protect their flocks...

 

they protect them with high electric fencing, I'd rather pay a bit more for my eggs to cover the cost of this than know my eggs had come from a hen suffering in a cramped cage- even barn eggs are a Better option as at least the birds have room to move around, dust bathe, perch etc even if they don't actually get to go outside.

 

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR CAGED/BATTERY FARMING EXCEPT PROFIT!

 

I dont think any of us disagree with you. Its just a thread trying to help Martin with his school work