Declawing? Pet Centers?

[Jazi]

Three eggs a MONTH? My chickens lay about one every day! Well, that's a new fact. About the picture, It isn't very free-range to me. They are all squished together. But, if you say so. And I meant what you said about battery hens beaks; they only clip the tips. It still is shorter... Well, whatever. Same, same.

Most farmed chickens lay an egg every 22-26 hours. A wild hen, which has not been domesticated, would lay much less. Bit of a difference...

[Sadies]

I just looked at the image, that's not battery cages, that's the barn system.
These are the systems:
- Freerange:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/jersey/content/ima ... 70x300.jpg
- Barn:
http://images.smh.com.au/2010/02/17/113 ... -420x0.jpg
- Cage Enriched:
http://www.wpsa-foodsafety.com/UserFile ... _cage_.gif
http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/wp ... -small.jpg
- Battery:
http://www.djpublications.com/chickens/ ... 68x313.jpg

I did a lot of coursework on farming last year in Livestock class at college, we had to right the pro's and cons for every single system, not just hens but everything. The Battery and cages enriched are better for the people, barn is in the middle with okay welfare and money then free range is generally less money but better care.

[Saracirce]

Three eggs a MONTH? My chickens lay about one every day! Well, that's a new fact. About the picture, It isn't very free-range to me. They are all squished together. But, if you say so. And I meant what you said about battery hens beaks; they only clip the tips. It still is shorter... Well, whatever. Same, same.

Domestic chickens have been bred to produce an excessive amount of eggs. Just like domestic dairy cows/goats have been bred to produce an excessive amount of milk.

[Ruruskadoo]

I just looked at the image, that's not battery cages, that's the barn system.
These are the systems:
- Freerange:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/jersey/content/ima ... 70x300.jpg
- Barn:
http://images.smh.com.au/2010/02/17/113 ... -420x0.jpg
- Cage Enriched:
http://www.wpsa-foodsafety.com/UserFile ... _cage_.gif
http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/wp ... -small.jpg
- Battery:
http://www.djpublications.com/chickens/ ... 68x313.jpg

I did a lot of coursework on farming last year in Livestock class at college, we had to right the pro's and cons for every single system, not just hens but everything. The Battery and cages enriched are better for the people, barn is in the middle with okay welfare and money then free range is generally less money but better care.

The problem with "free range" is that it's not terribly regulated, at least in the US. They COULD be like that image shows, but they could also be crammed into a barn like the barn image with a small door leading out to a tiny amount of outside space. The USDA only requires that the animals are allowed access to the outside; it doesn't require that the animals actually go out or that the outside space is very big, and there's no regulation for how long they're allowed access to the outside.

[Sadies]

Yeah, that's kinda like the UK except they must always have access to the outside. The thing that puts me off freerange is the fact it can be basically a load of chickens shoved I'n a tiny pen, it's better that they get to go outside but then they still need space. I personally think all should be freerange with enough space to move around but I can't change laws on my own and not many people know how farm animals are actually kept sadly.

[Bayleaf]

The picture I linked was what my example was of a meat bird farm, not battery cages.

[PuddingShark]

I don't know much about battery hens, but don't they lose a lot of feathers too? Maybe because of stress or something? I don't remember.

[Bayleaf]

yeah they do lose feathers. and some nice people with time on their hands knit sweaters for them !!

[Sadies]

Yeah battery farming is bad for the hens, a lot die but most are injured and loose feathers. :(

Aww...that's cute, chicken sweaters.

[T.a.r.d.i.s.]

Does anyone know if cows naturally produce milk all the time?