California cage law will apply to out-of-state eggs
Associated Press
Posted: 07/08/2010 04:31:12 AM PDT
SACRAMENTO — California's two-year-old law to protect egg-laying hens has been extended to out-of-state egg suppliers who hope to sell their products in the state's grocery stores.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday signed AB1437 into law, calling it a positive step for California egg producers and animal welfare.
The measure requires that all eggs imported to California come from farms complying with Proposition 2, which was approved by voters in 2008. Violators could face up to 180 days in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Proposition 2 says cages for egg-laying hens must be large enough for the animals to stand up, lie down and extend their wings.
Both laws will take effect in 2015. Link
Let's look at what has happended here. Because of HSUS getting Prop 2 passed, consumers have less choices available to them at the grocery store in California. The choices that are left will be more expensive. This is exactly what their mission is, to force people to eat the food they decide is best. So the next time you hear Wayne and Co. claiming that they don't have a vegan agenda just remember what has now happened in California. This should be an incredible wake-up call for anyone who thinks HSUS is just a humane society.
Showing posts with label cage free eggs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cage free eggs. Show all posts
Friday, July 9, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
All Eggs Taste The Same
Backyard eggs vs. store-bought: They taste the same
By Tamar Haspel
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, June 2, 2010; E01
Fresh eggs from well-treated chickens taste better than supermarket eggs. Ask anyone who raises chickens, or anyone who's thinking about raising chickens, or anyone who gets eggs from anyone who raises chickens. Ask anyone, actually.
Well, as of about a year ago, I raise chickens. And I wanted to believe.
When my husband, Kevin, and I made the move two years ago from Manhattan to two wooded acres on Cape Cod, we were determined to do all the things we couldn't do in the city. We garden, of course. We also fish and hunt, shellfish and lobster. We grow mushrooms and make sea salt. We brew root beer and dandelion wine.
And we raise chickens. Apparently, so does everybody and his brother. There aren't any official stats: Backyard chickens fly under the Department of Agriculture's radar. But they seem to be all the rage.
We collected our first egg last Sept. 22 (we made book on it). Although it was a runty thing, a scant two inches high, I rushed to my husband's office to show him. We have both known all our lives that chickens lay eggs, but we held it in our hands and marveled at the miraculousness of it, as though our chicken had laid a fig, or maybe a truffle. That evening, to keep the shell intact, we carefully poked holes in both ends and blew out the contents, which we scrambled in a little bit of butter. There was just enough for each of us to have a bite.
It was, of course, delicious. But it got me wondering. How much of the deliciousness came from the idea of it, and how much came from the actual yolk and white of it? Read More
Our urban and suburban friends have been busy starting their backyard food producing enterprises over the last couple years. But as the work gets more tedious and the romance wears off we finally start to see the reality come into view. I don’t have a problem with people raising their own food in a garden or with some backyard livestock but looking objectively at what it produces is important. I think the thing to remember is that there is always a lot of hype surrounding new and trendy things. It’s how you feel a year later about your new and trendy thing that tells the real story.
By Tamar Haspel
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, June 2, 2010; E01
Fresh eggs from well-treated chickens taste better than supermarket eggs. Ask anyone who raises chickens, or anyone who's thinking about raising chickens, or anyone who gets eggs from anyone who raises chickens. Ask anyone, actually.
Well, as of about a year ago, I raise chickens. And I wanted to believe.
When my husband, Kevin, and I made the move two years ago from Manhattan to two wooded acres on Cape Cod, we were determined to do all the things we couldn't do in the city. We garden, of course. We also fish and hunt, shellfish and lobster. We grow mushrooms and make sea salt. We brew root beer and dandelion wine.
And we raise chickens. Apparently, so does everybody and his brother. There aren't any official stats: Backyard chickens fly under the Department of Agriculture's radar. But they seem to be all the rage.
We collected our first egg last Sept. 22 (we made book on it). Although it was a runty thing, a scant two inches high, I rushed to my husband's office to show him. We have both known all our lives that chickens lay eggs, but we held it in our hands and marveled at the miraculousness of it, as though our chicken had laid a fig, or maybe a truffle. That evening, to keep the shell intact, we carefully poked holes in both ends and blew out the contents, which we scrambled in a little bit of butter. There was just enough for each of us to have a bite.
It was, of course, delicious. But it got me wondering. How much of the deliciousness came from the idea of it, and how much came from the actual yolk and white of it? Read More
Our urban and suburban friends have been busy starting their backyard food producing enterprises over the last couple years. But as the work gets more tedious and the romance wears off we finally start to see the reality come into view. I don’t have a problem with people raising their own food in a garden or with some backyard livestock but looking objectively at what it produces is important. I think the thing to remember is that there is always a lot of hype surrounding new and trendy things. It’s how you feel a year later about your new and trendy thing that tells the real story.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
McDonalds Opposes Cage-Free Eggs
April 13, 2010, 3:49 pm
McDonald’s Board Opposes Cage-Free Eggs for U.S.
By LEORA BROYDO VESTEL
The board of directors of McDonald’s has recommended that the company’s shareholders vote against a proposal to require that 5 percent of the eggs purchased for the chain’s restaurants in the United States be the cage-free variety.
Sally Ryan for The New York Times Eggs are washed, rinsed and coated in a thin layer of oil to protect their porous shells before they are dried and packaged at a cage-free supplier in Indiana.
The proposal was advanced by the Humane Society of the United States.
Some major fast food companies, including Burger King, Subway and Wendy’s, and the retailers Wal-Mart and Trader Joe’s, have already made some level of commitment to purchasing or selling cage-free eggs.
But the McDonald’s board said on Friday that the science was not there to support a switch.
“As we have examined this issue over the years, we have determined that there is no agreement in the global scientific community about how to balance the advantages and disadvantages of laying hen housing systems,” it said in a proxy statement. Read More
It’s nice to see a company not cave to emotional pleas, but rather rely on scientific evidence to make sound decisions. Obviously, the animal rights activists don’t want companies to study the issues since the answer might not match their agenda. Shouldn’t this be a warning sign not to trust these groups that shun studying animals welfare in favor of bullying people into agreeing with them?
McDonald’s Board Opposes Cage-Free Eggs for U.S.
By LEORA BROYDO VESTEL
The board of directors of McDonald’s has recommended that the company’s shareholders vote against a proposal to require that 5 percent of the eggs purchased for the chain’s restaurants in the United States be the cage-free variety.
Sally Ryan for The New York Times Eggs are washed, rinsed and coated in a thin layer of oil to protect their porous shells before they are dried and packaged at a cage-free supplier in Indiana.
The proposal was advanced by the Humane Society of the United States.
Some major fast food companies, including Burger King, Subway and Wendy’s, and the retailers Wal-Mart and Trader Joe’s, have already made some level of commitment to purchasing or selling cage-free eggs.
But the McDonald’s board said on Friday that the science was not there to support a switch.
“As we have examined this issue over the years, we have determined that there is no agreement in the global scientific community about how to balance the advantages and disadvantages of laying hen housing systems,” it said in a proxy statement. Read More
It’s nice to see a company not cave to emotional pleas, but rather rely on scientific evidence to make sound decisions. Obviously, the animal rights activists don’t want companies to study the issues since the answer might not match their agenda. Shouldn’t this be a warning sign not to trust these groups that shun studying animals welfare in favor of bullying people into agreeing with them?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wendy's Starts Using a Few Cage-Free Egg, Why?
Wendy's to begin using eggs from cage-free chickens
26 May 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After lengthy discussions with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Wendy's has announced that it is starting to use eggs from cage-free hens. The new policy marks a significant advancement in The HSUS' national campaign against cruel and inhumane confinement of egg-laying hens.
Previously, all eggs that Wendy's used came from hens confined in "battery cages." Now the chain is using a minimum of 2 percent of cage-free eggs.
Retailers such as Quizno's, Burger King, Hardee's and Carl's Jr. also use eggs from cage-fee hens. McDonald's announced last week that it is entering a study to examine housing alternatives for egg-laying hens in the United States, including cage-free housing.
At the McDonald's annual meeting May 27, a HSUS representative will urge shareholders to approve its resolution asking the company to start switching to eggs laid by cage-free hens. Link
For several years, Wendy’s rightfully saw no benefit to using cage-free eggs. Even after HSUS took out full page ads in newspapers urging people to call Wendy’s, they got as many calls against using cage free eggs as were in support of the switch. So after all that, it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that during the same week McDonalds is under fire for wanting to study the issue, that Wendy’s finally agrees to purchase a tiny amount of cage-free eggs. Politics trumps policy every time and apparently that is what happened here.
26 May 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After lengthy discussions with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Wendy's has announced that it is starting to use eggs from cage-free hens. The new policy marks a significant advancement in The HSUS' national campaign against cruel and inhumane confinement of egg-laying hens.
Previously, all eggs that Wendy's used came from hens confined in "battery cages." Now the chain is using a minimum of 2 percent of cage-free eggs.
Retailers such as Quizno's, Burger King, Hardee's and Carl's Jr. also use eggs from cage-fee hens. McDonald's announced last week that it is entering a study to examine housing alternatives for egg-laying hens in the United States, including cage-free housing.
At the McDonald's annual meeting May 27, a HSUS representative will urge shareholders to approve its resolution asking the company to start switching to eggs laid by cage-free hens. Link
For several years, Wendy’s rightfully saw no benefit to using cage-free eggs. Even after HSUS took out full page ads in newspapers urging people to call Wendy’s, they got as many calls against using cage free eggs as were in support of the switch. So after all that, it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that during the same week McDonalds is under fire for wanting to study the issue, that Wendy’s finally agrees to purchase a tiny amount of cage-free eggs. Politics trumps policy every time and apparently that is what happened here.
Friday, May 22, 2009
McDonald's To Study Egg Issues
McDonald's to study hen housing options
But key animal welfare proponent says the study only will delay the fast-food giant's move into the U.S. "cage-free" market
By Mike Hughlett Tribune reporter
4:10 PM CDT, May 21, 2009
Seeking to buy eggs produced in a potentially more humane way, Oak Brook-based McDonald's Corp. Thursday announced it will undertake a large-scale study involving tens of thousands of hens.
But the Humane Society of the United States said the study will likely delay any significant move by McDonald's into the U.S. "cage-free" egg market – an animal welfare step some of its rivals have taken.
Most eggs produced in the U.S. come from chickens housed in so-called "battery cages": pens shared by several birds, each of which gets just less than 70 square inches of living space.
While the egg industry has voluntarily increased cage space in recent years, some animal welfare groups have continued to criticize the battery system for cramped conditions. In a referendum last November, California voters outlawed battery cages.
McDonald's is teaming up with one of its primary egg suppliers, Cargill, and several animal-welfare scientists to conduct a commercial-scale study of housing alternatives for hens, including cage-free and so-called "enriched housing." The latter involves cages, but includes nests and perches.
But Paul Shapiro, head of the Humane Society's factory farming initiative, said that since the study will take two years, McDonald's will be kept from making the "same modest reforms its competitors have already adopted." Read More
When reading this article, I got the impression that HSUS is scared of the results that may be released from McDonald’s study of the issue. If HSUS was truly interested in what is best for the livestock, they would have no reason to disparage the fast food chain for wanting to do a comprehensive study. This is another example of the bully mentality that HSUS has and the juvenile fit they throw in the media when they don’t get their way. They know that there is no good research to support cage free hens and the truth is what they fear.
But key animal welfare proponent says the study only will delay the fast-food giant's move into the U.S. "cage-free" market
By Mike Hughlett Tribune reporter
4:10 PM CDT, May 21, 2009
Seeking to buy eggs produced in a potentially more humane way, Oak Brook-based McDonald's Corp. Thursday announced it will undertake a large-scale study involving tens of thousands of hens.
But the Humane Society of the United States said the study will likely delay any significant move by McDonald's into the U.S. "cage-free" egg market – an animal welfare step some of its rivals have taken.
Most eggs produced in the U.S. come from chickens housed in so-called "battery cages": pens shared by several birds, each of which gets just less than 70 square inches of living space.
While the egg industry has voluntarily increased cage space in recent years, some animal welfare groups have continued to criticize the battery system for cramped conditions. In a referendum last November, California voters outlawed battery cages.
McDonald's is teaming up with one of its primary egg suppliers, Cargill, and several animal-welfare scientists to conduct a commercial-scale study of housing alternatives for hens, including cage-free and so-called "enriched housing." The latter involves cages, but includes nests and perches.
But Paul Shapiro, head of the Humane Society's factory farming initiative, said that since the study will take two years, McDonald's will be kept from making the "same modest reforms its competitors have already adopted." Read More
When reading this article, I got the impression that HSUS is scared of the results that may be released from McDonald’s study of the issue. If HSUS was truly interested in what is best for the livestock, they would have no reason to disparage the fast food chain for wanting to do a comprehensive study. This is another example of the bully mentality that HSUS has and the juvenile fit they throw in the media when they don’t get their way. They know that there is no good research to support cage free hens and the truth is what they fear.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Only Cage-Free Eggs May Be Available to CA Consumers
Bill would apply caged hen rules to out-of-state eggs
03:28 PM PDT on Monday, May 11, 2009
By JIM MILLER Sacramento Bureau
SACRAMENTO - California's upcoming ban on small cages for egg-laying hens would be extended to out-of-state egg producers if a bill moving through the Legislature becomes law.
The state's $648 million egg industry so far is neutral on the legislation, which is championed by the same groups that backed Prop. 2, the successful November ballot initiative that requires more room for chickens and other farm animals.
The bill, though, already has received support from legislators who opposed Prop. 2. They say it will help California's egg industry compete with out-of-state egg producers who, under current law, will not need to comply with Prop. 2 when its rules take effect in 2015.
"I think there's a general consensus out there that if our industries have to do certain things for the housing of poultry, then we don't think it's too much to ask the rest of the country to adhere to the same rules that we do, just to keep our folks competitive," said Assemblyman Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, a co-author of AB 1437. He opposed Prop. 2. Read More
Here is why HSUS is sponsoring this bill. They are using the same theory as is used to curb social behavior. The “sin tax” is used to tax products in order to make them expensive and curb their use. If California is only allowed to raise and sell eggs that have been raised cage free, this will drastically increase the price of eggs, thus lowering demand and forcing egg farmers out of business. HSUS has stated that they want to abolish animal agriculture and this is just one of the not-so-obvious ways that they are doing it.
03:28 PM PDT on Monday, May 11, 2009
By JIM MILLER Sacramento Bureau
SACRAMENTO - California's upcoming ban on small cages for egg-laying hens would be extended to out-of-state egg producers if a bill moving through the Legislature becomes law.
The state's $648 million egg industry so far is neutral on the legislation, which is championed by the same groups that backed Prop. 2, the successful November ballot initiative that requires more room for chickens and other farm animals.
The bill, though, already has received support from legislators who opposed Prop. 2. They say it will help California's egg industry compete with out-of-state egg producers who, under current law, will not need to comply with Prop. 2 when its rules take effect in 2015.
"I think there's a general consensus out there that if our industries have to do certain things for the housing of poultry, then we don't think it's too much to ask the rest of the country to adhere to the same rules that we do, just to keep our folks competitive," said Assemblyman Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, a co-author of AB 1437. He opposed Prop. 2. Read More
Here is why HSUS is sponsoring this bill. They are using the same theory as is used to curb social behavior. The “sin tax” is used to tax products in order to make them expensive and curb their use. If California is only allowed to raise and sell eggs that have been raised cage free, this will drastically increase the price of eggs, thus lowering demand and forcing egg farmers out of business. HSUS has stated that they want to abolish animal agriculture and this is just one of the not-so-obvious ways that they are doing it.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Cage Debate
Why chickens need cages
International efforts to ban chicken coops harms birds, farmers
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
By Dennis T. Avery
My wife and I used to have free-range chickens. We didn’t get an abundance of eggs because the hens hid them in the barn hay—and then brought us batches of live chicks instead of breakfast makings. And, they stopped laying during the winter so we had to buy commercial eggs at the local grocery.
Then the local foxes and hawks discovered our chickens, and we learned first-hand why people invented chicken houses: the roosters and non-nesting hens usually survived by roosting in the barn rafters, but the nesting hens and those with chicks got taken, with the chicks as appetizers. That’s why Britain invented fox-hunting in the old days—to protect the village hens. People also kept the birds inside their homes at night, which meant more disease risk, poor husbandry, and poor hygiene.
Reluctantly, the Averys decided to put the new chickens into a coop with a fenced yard—and netting overhead to keep off the hawks.
Now our problem is that the chickens peck some of each others’ feathers off. We haven’t had any chickens pecked to death yet, but that’s the typical problem with birds that are confined, but not caged. The "pecking order" is real and natural. The only real solution is to de-beak the birds and my wife won’t allow it. We have thrown the roosters out of the "safe house" and the damaged hens are in a separate area re-feathering. But we have fewer than two dozen chickens to fuss over.
That’s why the egg producers of the modern world have invented wire cages for their hens.
Read More
One of the reasons that voters have continued to support legislation that dictates animal production methods is because there hasn’t been any consequences for their vote. That’s because other areas of the country have been making up for any loss in production. However, articles like this articulate what would happen if the entire country was forced to use these methods. Not only would our production suffer, but so would our livestock. As a student of animal husbandry, the idea of having to raise all of our chickens in an area where they are constantly threatened by attacks from predators and other chickens, and dealing with extreme environmental conditions is disturbing.
International efforts to ban chicken coops harms birds, farmers
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
By Dennis T. Avery
My wife and I used to have free-range chickens. We didn’t get an abundance of eggs because the hens hid them in the barn hay—and then brought us batches of live chicks instead of breakfast makings. And, they stopped laying during the winter so we had to buy commercial eggs at the local grocery.
Then the local foxes and hawks discovered our chickens, and we learned first-hand why people invented chicken houses: the roosters and non-nesting hens usually survived by roosting in the barn rafters, but the nesting hens and those with chicks got taken, with the chicks as appetizers. That’s why Britain invented fox-hunting in the old days—to protect the village hens. People also kept the birds inside their homes at night, which meant more disease risk, poor husbandry, and poor hygiene.
Reluctantly, the Averys decided to put the new chickens into a coop with a fenced yard—and netting overhead to keep off the hawks.
Now our problem is that the chickens peck some of each others’ feathers off. We haven’t had any chickens pecked to death yet, but that’s the typical problem with birds that are confined, but not caged. The "pecking order" is real and natural. The only real solution is to de-beak the birds and my wife won’t allow it. We have thrown the roosters out of the "safe house" and the damaged hens are in a separate area re-feathering. But we have fewer than two dozen chickens to fuss over.
That’s why the egg producers of the modern world have invented wire cages for their hens.
Read More
One of the reasons that voters have continued to support legislation that dictates animal production methods is because there hasn’t been any consequences for their vote. That’s because other areas of the country have been making up for any loss in production. However, articles like this articulate what would happen if the entire country was forced to use these methods. Not only would our production suffer, but so would our livestock. As a student of animal husbandry, the idea of having to raise all of our chickens in an area where they are constantly threatened by attacks from predators and other chickens, and dealing with extreme environmental conditions is disturbing.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
More Egg News From Maine
Radlo Foods Pledges To Phase Out Battery Cage Eggs
April 6, 2009 Reported By: Susan Sharon
Less than a week after an animal rights organization made public allegations of animal cruelty at the former DeCoster Egg Farm in Turner, a major egg producer has severed ties with the operation. In addition, David Radlo of Radlo Foods is making a pledge to phase out so-called battery cages and to go exclusively to "cage free" eggs in the next ten years.
Sometime soon, David Radlo of Radlo Foods says his sign in front of the former DeCoster Egg Farm will be coming down and all his business at the massive egg operation in Turner will come to an end. Radlo says he will no longer rely on hens or eggs that come from Maine Contract Farming, the company owned by egg farm magnate Jack DeCoster, one of the nation's biggest producers of brown eggs.
Says Radlo, "We've given up that facility and we're moving on down the road and we're sourcing from other states right now but there's an important thing that people need to know: we hear you loud and clear." Read More
With only the allegations of wrong-doing, these animal rights groups were able to get a and large company to switch their policies and start moving towards cage free production. It’s a great example of how perception IS reality. You are guilty until proven innocent. The problem is that fact that these groups aren’t going to quit once they get everyone to go cage free. Then they will go for their ultimate goal of eliminating the industry completely and take the choice away from consumers. They know consumers can’t be trusted to help with their goals, so the have to use force instead.
April 6, 2009 Reported By: Susan Sharon
Less than a week after an animal rights organization made public allegations of animal cruelty at the former DeCoster Egg Farm in Turner, a major egg producer has severed ties with the operation. In addition, David Radlo of Radlo Foods is making a pledge to phase out so-called battery cages and to go exclusively to "cage free" eggs in the next ten years.
Sometime soon, David Radlo of Radlo Foods says his sign in front of the former DeCoster Egg Farm will be coming down and all his business at the massive egg operation in Turner will come to an end. Radlo says he will no longer rely on hens or eggs that come from Maine Contract Farming, the company owned by egg farm magnate Jack DeCoster, one of the nation's biggest producers of brown eggs.
Says Radlo, "We've given up that facility and we're moving on down the road and we're sourcing from other states right now but there's an important thing that people need to know: we hear you loud and clear." Read More
With only the allegations of wrong-doing, these animal rights groups were able to get a and large company to switch their policies and start moving towards cage free production. It’s a great example of how perception IS reality. You are guilty until proven innocent. The problem is that fact that these groups aren’t going to quit once they get everyone to go cage free. Then they will go for their ultimate goal of eliminating the industry completely and take the choice away from consumers. They know consumers can’t be trusted to help with their goals, so the have to use force instead.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
No on Prop 2
Why Prop. 2 is a bad idea for agriculture
Sep 29, 2008
For those of us who don't make a living in agriculture, there is something emotionally appealing about Proposition 2's attempt to instill more humane farm practices in California.
The measure, promoted by the national Humane Society, would prohibit the confinement of a farm animal for a majority of the day in a way that prevented it from "lying down, standing up and fully extending his or her limbs" and "turning around freely."
There is no question about the main target of the measure. It is the poultry industry and its practice of stacking egg-laying hens in cramped cages.
Supporters of Proposition 2 would like to cast it as a battle between the good guys battling farm cruelty and the bad guys defending agribusiness profit. The reality, however, is significantly more complicated. Read More
People in California, including several newspapers like this one from Hollister, CA, are starting to realize the consequences that Prop 2 could have on the production of eggs. As I shared with you last week, even cage free producers are worried that it could affect their businesses. The fact of the matter is this is another attempt by HSUS to gradually eliminate animal agriculture in this country.
Sep 29, 2008
For those of us who don't make a living in agriculture, there is something emotionally appealing about Proposition 2's attempt to instill more humane farm practices in California.
The measure, promoted by the national Humane Society, would prohibit the confinement of a farm animal for a majority of the day in a way that prevented it from "lying down, standing up and fully extending his or her limbs" and "turning around freely."
There is no question about the main target of the measure. It is the poultry industry and its practice of stacking egg-laying hens in cramped cages.
Supporters of Proposition 2 would like to cast it as a battle between the good guys battling farm cruelty and the bad guys defending agribusiness profit. The reality, however, is significantly more complicated. Read More
People in California, including several newspapers like this one from Hollister, CA, are starting to realize the consequences that Prop 2 could have on the production of eggs. As I shared with you last week, even cage free producers are worried that it could affect their businesses. The fact of the matter is this is another attempt by HSUS to gradually eliminate animal agriculture in this country.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Telling Their Story, Making a Difference
Cage-free egg farms peck away at consumer reality
by Linda Valdez - Aug. 10, 2008 12:00 AM
Republic columnist
I toured a couple of egg farms and changed my buying habits.
It started with a column I wrote a while back about factory farming. I questioned the morality of treating food animals like cogs in an industrial machine. Some farmers took issue.
Clint Hickman of Hickman's Family Farms took me on a tour of the egg farm his family runs near Buckeye.
I saw some of the 4 million hens Hickman's has in so-called battery cages. Animal-rights advocates find these cages so offensive they are trying to get voters in California to outlaw them.
Stacked one upon another, these cages rose high above me and stretched in long rows. A group of chickens lays eggs in those cages for about two years. Then the birds are euthanized, and new chickens are brought in.
This wasn't Birdie Paradise, but it wasn't Avian Hell, either. Read More
Telling the story of agriculture is the greatest tool that producers have in educating consumers about how their food is raised and why we have implemented technology. Agriculture has changed a lot over the last century, and for good reason. There were more mouths to feed and there were more efficient ways of doing it. In animal agriculture, we will always have to have the best interests of the animals in mind, and that is why we have developed the technologies that we utilize today. Congratulations to Hickmans’s for going out and telling their story!
by Linda Valdez - Aug. 10, 2008 12:00 AM
Republic columnist
I toured a couple of egg farms and changed my buying habits.
It started with a column I wrote a while back about factory farming. I questioned the morality of treating food animals like cogs in an industrial machine. Some farmers took issue.
Clint Hickman of Hickman's Family Farms took me on a tour of the egg farm his family runs near Buckeye.
I saw some of the 4 million hens Hickman's has in so-called battery cages. Animal-rights advocates find these cages so offensive they are trying to get voters in California to outlaw them.
Stacked one upon another, these cages rose high above me and stretched in long rows. A group of chickens lays eggs in those cages for about two years. Then the birds are euthanized, and new chickens are brought in.
This wasn't Birdie Paradise, but it wasn't Avian Hell, either. Read More
Telling the story of agriculture is the greatest tool that producers have in educating consumers about how their food is raised and why we have implemented technology. Agriculture has changed a lot over the last century, and for good reason. There were more mouths to feed and there were more efficient ways of doing it. In animal agriculture, we will always have to have the best interests of the animals in mind, and that is why we have developed the technologies that we utilize today. Congratulations to Hickmans’s for going out and telling their story!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
California Prop 2
Californians for SAFE Food Launches Campaign Opposing Proposition 2: 'The Un-SAFE Food Initiative'
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Californians for SAFE Food, a coalition of public health and food safety experts, labor unions, consumers, family farmers and veterinarians, today officially launched its campaign to oppose Proposition 2, the November ballot initiative that bans almost all modern egg production in California.
Dubbing Prop. 2 the "un-SAFE food initiative," Californians for SAFE Food also introduced its Web site, http://www.safecaliforniafood.org and released an updated list of organizations and individuals who have joined the opposition campaign.
"Proposition 2, quite simply, is an un-SAFE food initiative. It undermines California's current high food safety standards, putting us at greater risk with exposure to illness and disease like Salmonella and Bird Flu," said Julie Buckner, spokeswoman for the "NO on Prop. 2" campaign. "While the proponents claim the measure is 'moderate,' it is really a wide-sweeping, risky, and dangerous measure that will have costly, negative consequences for California." Read More
The ballot issue in California that will decide how farm animals can be raised in that state has been officially labeled as Proposition 2. While those that are striving to ban the use of cages claim this is a welfare issue, it really is a food and animal safety issue. With it’s passage, farmers and ranchers in California will lose their ability to effectively protect their animals from disease and will more than likely force the industry out of the state. It is vital that all of us in agriculture do what we can to stop it’s passage. This shouldn’t be viewed as a state issue, the outcome of this vote will have far-reaching implications nationwide.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Californians for SAFE Food, a coalition of public health and food safety experts, labor unions, consumers, family farmers and veterinarians, today officially launched its campaign to oppose Proposition 2, the November ballot initiative that bans almost all modern egg production in California.
Dubbing Prop. 2 the "un-SAFE food initiative," Californians for SAFE Food also introduced its Web site, http://www.safecaliforniafood.org and released an updated list of organizations and individuals who have joined the opposition campaign.
"Proposition 2, quite simply, is an un-SAFE food initiative. It undermines California's current high food safety standards, putting us at greater risk with exposure to illness and disease like Salmonella and Bird Flu," said Julie Buckner, spokeswoman for the "NO on Prop. 2" campaign. "While the proponents claim the measure is 'moderate,' it is really a wide-sweeping, risky, and dangerous measure that will have costly, negative consequences for California." Read More
The ballot issue in California that will decide how farm animals can be raised in that state has been officially labeled as Proposition 2. While those that are striving to ban the use of cages claim this is a welfare issue, it really is a food and animal safety issue. With it’s passage, farmers and ranchers in California will lose their ability to effectively protect their animals from disease and will more than likely force the industry out of the state. It is vital that all of us in agriculture do what we can to stop it’s passage. This shouldn’t be viewed as a state issue, the outcome of this vote will have far-reaching implications nationwide.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
PETA takes aim at Wendy's (Again)
PETA Challenges Triarc to Change Wendy's Practices
2008-04-29 —
PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk sent the following letter to Triarc's CEO Roland Smith and Chair Nathan Peltz today challenging the Atlanta-based company to improve Wendy's animal practices:
"Dear Messrs. Smith and Peltz:
I'm writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 1.8 million members and supporters worldwide regarding your purchase of Wendy's.
I know that there are many people unhappy with this purchase, but I want you to know that those of us at PETA who have been nudging Wendy's to eliminate the worst abuses of the animals raised and killed for its restaurants are relieved. Perhaps now, Wendy's will make some long-overdue progress on this issue. Read More
PETA is apparently still stinging from their failed efforts to have Wendy’s use cage free eggs. Back in February, PETA placed ads in newspaper urging people to call Wendy’s and tell them to switch. Wendy’s ended up getting more calls against the switch, and chose not do change anything.
2008-04-29 —
PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk sent the following letter to Triarc's CEO Roland Smith and Chair Nathan Peltz today challenging the Atlanta-based company to improve Wendy's animal practices:
"Dear Messrs. Smith and Peltz:
I'm writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 1.8 million members and supporters worldwide regarding your purchase of Wendy's.
I know that there are many people unhappy with this purchase, but I want you to know that those of us at PETA who have been nudging Wendy's to eliminate the worst abuses of the animals raised and killed for its restaurants are relieved. Perhaps now, Wendy's will make some long-overdue progress on this issue. Read More
PETA is apparently still stinging from their failed efforts to have Wendy’s use cage free eggs. Back in February, PETA placed ads in newspaper urging people to call Wendy’s and tell them to switch. Wendy’s ended up getting more calls against the switch, and chose not do change anything.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The California Initiative
Moral issues surround animal welfare
By Erin Digitale
Article Launched: 04/28/2008 10:32:30 PM PDT
Tender veal cutlets. Sizzling pork chops. Savory omelets.
For a growing number of Californians, these meals are sparking a moral conundrum: Should they worry about how animals lived before their products hit the plate?
California voters will answer that question in November with a new animal welfare ballot initiative. If passed, the measure would require farmers to provide enough space for breeding sows, veal calves and laying hens to turn around and stretch their limbs.
The growing attention to the welfare of food animals is ``a huge change,'' said Joy Mench, a University of California, Davis, professor who studies the well-being of chickens. ``When I started doing this in 1982, there was close to zero public awareness about this issue.''
The nation's largest pork and veal producers are voluntarily phasing out tiny crates used to house veal calves and gestating sows. So the measure's main consequence would focus on California's 19 million egg-laying hens, most of which are housed in battery cages, crowded wire boxes used in conventional egg farming. Read More
There is going to be a lot of debate going on in California over the initiative on the ballot that will take hens out of cages. Opponents of the initiative make some very good arguments for the use of cages for the hens in this article. I am going to continue bringing you these articles so that everyone gets the sense of what the arguments and sentiments are in California. All of us need to be prepared to help stop this movement.
By Erin Digitale
Article Launched: 04/28/2008 10:32:30 PM PDT
Tender veal cutlets. Sizzling pork chops. Savory omelets.
For a growing number of Californians, these meals are sparking a moral conundrum: Should they worry about how animals lived before their products hit the plate?
California voters will answer that question in November with a new animal welfare ballot initiative. If passed, the measure would require farmers to provide enough space for breeding sows, veal calves and laying hens to turn around and stretch their limbs.
The growing attention to the welfare of food animals is ``a huge change,'' said Joy Mench, a University of California, Davis, professor who studies the well-being of chickens. ``When I started doing this in 1982, there was close to zero public awareness about this issue.''
The nation's largest pork and veal producers are voluntarily phasing out tiny crates used to house veal calves and gestating sows. So the measure's main consequence would focus on California's 19 million egg-laying hens, most of which are housed in battery cages, crowded wire boxes used in conventional egg farming. Read More
There is going to be a lot of debate going on in California over the initiative on the ballot that will take hens out of cages. Opponents of the initiative make some very good arguments for the use of cages for the hens in this article. I am going to continue bringing you these articles so that everyone gets the sense of what the arguments and sentiments are in California. All of us need to be prepared to help stop this movement.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Lawyer's defending hen rights
Law students stand up for laying hens' freedom
Move to ban restrictive cages stifled in Del. General Assembly
By ERIC RUTH and J.L. MILLER
The News Journal
Some lawyers judge success by how many people they've kept out of the lockup. Apparently, that now applies to chickens as well.
Thanks to a consciousness-raising campaign by budding attorneys, Widener Law school has joined a rising number of schools in banning eggs laid by caged chickens from its dining halls. It might not be quite like winning a case in court, but to the students who rallied to the caged chickens' cause, it feels good nonetheless.
"It's actually starting to pick up a lot of steam," Widener student Andrew Fabian, who helped lead the cage-free campaign by the Widener Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, said of the issue on campus.
In the world of animal rights, the realm of law is increasingly coming to bear, even outside the leafy expanse of Widener's Concord Pike campus. In Widener's case, all it took was a chat with the dining hall's manager and a few caged-chicken videos to achieve their aim -- but such efforts do stand a chance of someday ending up in the nation's courts. Read More
Animal law is quickly becoming available at most law schools. Some have compared it to the rise in environmental law in the 1970’s and 80’s. There is no doubt in my mind that many lawyers will be gunning for a tobacco like settlement against animal agriculture somewhere in the future. And with laws being attempted in places like CA, that could drastically change the future of agriculture in this country, there will be no shortage of lawyers wanting to be involved.
Move to ban restrictive cages stifled in Del. General Assembly
By ERIC RUTH and J.L. MILLER
The News Journal
Some lawyers judge success by how many people they've kept out of the lockup. Apparently, that now applies to chickens as well.
Thanks to a consciousness-raising campaign by budding attorneys, Widener Law school has joined a rising number of schools in banning eggs laid by caged chickens from its dining halls. It might not be quite like winning a case in court, but to the students who rallied to the caged chickens' cause, it feels good nonetheless.
"It's actually starting to pick up a lot of steam," Widener student Andrew Fabian, who helped lead the cage-free campaign by the Widener Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, said of the issue on campus.
In the world of animal rights, the realm of law is increasingly coming to bear, even outside the leafy expanse of Widener's Concord Pike campus. In Widener's case, all it took was a chat with the dining hall's manager and a few caged-chicken videos to achieve their aim -- but such efforts do stand a chance of someday ending up in the nation's courts. Read More
Animal law is quickly becoming available at most law schools. Some have compared it to the rise in environmental law in the 1970’s and 80’s. There is no doubt in my mind that many lawyers will be gunning for a tobacco like settlement against animal agriculture somewhere in the future. And with laws being attempted in places like CA, that could drastically change the future of agriculture in this country, there will be no shortage of lawyers wanting to be involved.
Monday, April 28, 2008
UCS's Agenda Based CAFO Report
Corporate Welfare Fueling Growth of Confined Animal Feeding Operations
22 Corporate Crime Reporter
17, April 24, 2008
Corporate welfare is fueling the growth of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
That’s according to a report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
CAFOs now produce most of the nation's beef, pork, chicken, dairy and eggs, even though there are more sophisticated and efficient farms in operation.
“CAFOs aren't the natural result of agricultural progress, nor are they the result of rational planning or market forces,” said Doug Gurian-Sherman, the author of the report. “Ill-advised policies created them, and it will take new policies to replace them with more sustainable, environmentally friendly production methods.”
The report – CAFOs Uncovered: The Untold Costs of Confined Animal Feeding Operations – details the policies that have allowed CAFOs to dominate U.S. meat and dairy production. Read More
The Union for Concerned Scientists is an agenda based organization that has partnered in the past with HSUS, The Waterkeeper’s Alliance and Greenpeace. Their report says they want the government to institute policies that benefit the environment. But what about benefitting the human population which requires an increasing amount of food in order to survive? If groups like the UCS had their way, we would not be producing livestock in this country.
Click Here for the UCS Report.
22 Corporate Crime Reporter
17, April 24, 2008
Corporate welfare is fueling the growth of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
That’s according to a report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
CAFOs now produce most of the nation's beef, pork, chicken, dairy and eggs, even though there are more sophisticated and efficient farms in operation.
“CAFOs aren't the natural result of agricultural progress, nor are they the result of rational planning or market forces,” said Doug Gurian-Sherman, the author of the report. “Ill-advised policies created them, and it will take new policies to replace them with more sustainable, environmentally friendly production methods.”
The report – CAFOs Uncovered: The Untold Costs of Confined Animal Feeding Operations – details the policies that have allowed CAFOs to dominate U.S. meat and dairy production. Read More
The Union for Concerned Scientists is an agenda based organization that has partnered in the past with HSUS, The Waterkeeper’s Alliance and Greenpeace. Their report says they want the government to institute policies that benefit the environment. But what about benefitting the human population which requires an increasing amount of food in order to survive? If groups like the UCS had their way, we would not be producing livestock in this country.
Click Here for the UCS Report.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
CA Woman Wants to Take Farmer's Choice Away
Pacific Grove woman fights for humane treatment of animals
By KEVIN HOWE Herald Staff Writer
Her family has ranched in the Sacramento Valley since the 1850s when they fed the Gold Rush miners with their beef cattle and crops.
"Family farming," she said, "has been part of my upbringing."
So it's no surprise Zamzow takes an unsentimental, but hard-line stance for the humane treatment of farm animals.
She and other volunteers completed a campaign this year to gather nearly 800,000 signatures on petitions to place the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Zamzow was singled out by Erin Williams, spokeswoman for the Humane Society of the United States' factory farming campaign for her work in gathering hundreds of signatures for the ballot initiative, making her one of the top campaigners in Monterey County. Read More
The California initiative is about choice, not science or animal welfare. HSUS and people like Zamzow want to take away producers options for raising animals, which in turn could force many to quit raising animals altogether. Research has shown no benefit to the animal’s welfare by not using these techniques, so all this will accomplish is to take away the individual freedoms of producers.
By KEVIN HOWE Herald Staff Writer
Her family has ranched in the Sacramento Valley since the 1850s when they fed the Gold Rush miners with their beef cattle and crops.
"Family farming," she said, "has been part of my upbringing."
So it's no surprise Zamzow takes an unsentimental, but hard-line stance for the humane treatment of farm animals.
She and other volunteers completed a campaign this year to gather nearly 800,000 signatures on petitions to place the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Zamzow was singled out by Erin Williams, spokeswoman for the Humane Society of the United States' factory farming campaign for her work in gathering hundreds of signatures for the ballot initiative, making her one of the top campaigners in Monterey County. Read More
The California initiative is about choice, not science or animal welfare. HSUS and people like Zamzow want to take away producers options for raising animals, which in turn could force many to quit raising animals altogether. Research has shown no benefit to the animal’s welfare by not using these techniques, so all this will accomplish is to take away the individual freedoms of producers.
Friday, April 4, 2008
New Hampshire says No to Cage Ban
From Feedstuffs:
A bill in the New Hampshire Legislature supported by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and would have banned cage-egg production systems failed in the state's House Agriculture Committee on a 16-0 vote. It was subsequently voted down in the full House by voice vote last month.
Meanwhile, a bill that would have banned the production and sale of foie gras in Maryland was rejected by the Maryland Legislature last month. The bill was supported by the Baltimore (Md.) Animal Rights Coalition. Link
Not only did the House Ag Committee of New Hampshire say no to this bill, they said heck no by voting unanimously against it. We will have to wait and see what the HSUS response will be.
A bill in the New Hampshire Legislature supported by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and would have banned cage-egg production systems failed in the state's House Agriculture Committee on a 16-0 vote. It was subsequently voted down in the full House by voice vote last month.
Meanwhile, a bill that would have banned the production and sale of foie gras in Maryland was rejected by the Maryland Legislature last month. The bill was supported by the Baltimore (Md.) Animal Rights Coalition. Link
Not only did the House Ag Committee of New Hampshire say no to this bill, they said heck no by voting unanimously against it. We will have to wait and see what the HSUS response will be.
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