Re: Speaking of free range eggs

[Guest guest]

> Hello all,

>

> So the eggs that I buy at the supermarket, Country Hen, sent a

little

> letter in their package of 6 eggs ($2.69) on how prohibitive true

free

> ranging is. They have a little tear-off at the end that they expect

you to

> cut off and send back in return requesting they get an exemption

from the

> free range requirements to be organic. I

>

> Their box advertizes the following:

> Certified 100% organic feed Free of Antibiotics Free walking

hens First

> with Omegas since 1988, each egg contains 285 mg of omega 3's ...

>

> The inside cover says:

> The Country hen is unique they live in spacious sunlit barns free

from

> cages, they get organic feed... and no salmonella... ever appeared.

>

> What do you all think?

>

> 'll type out the text:

>

> Dear Egg buyer,

>

> SHOULD WE PUT OUR HENS OUTSIDE?

> Do you think that it is necessary and appropriate that we

should give our

> hens " access to the outdoors'? The new USDA organic regulations

specify

> that organic livestock must have " access to the outdoors. " We

support the

> USDA regs in general, and believe that considerable fexibility will

be give

> to each farm. . . .

>

> We are very interested in your opinion concerning this

subject. If you

> return this insert (me: this does not apply to you email readers!)

with

> your decision, we will enter your response in a drawing. . . Send

your

> reply (postmarked by 4/1, due 4/5) to the Country Hen, PO BOX 333,

> Hubbardston, MA 01452.

>

> A CHICKEN IS NOT A COW

> OR WHY

> ALL LIVESTOCK ARE NOT THE SAME

> Not only do chickens have wings and feathers, which cows don't

have, but

> chickens behave differently on the range:

> 1. PREDATORS- Chickens cannot defend themselves from predators

such as

> coyotes, foxes, and raccoons. Cows have horns and hooves, plus

weight and

> size to help defend themselves.

> 2. WEATHER- Chickens cannot tolerate bad weather as well as

cows and

> steers. Based on five years U.S. weather observations taken eight

miles

> from the farm, rainy days account for 38% of all days between 1 May

and 30

> September. These five months are acceptable months for outdoor

access.

> Suitable dry days probably total less than three month of the year.

> 3. DISEASE- Chickens can be given serious disease by wild

birds. Canada

> Geese can give avian influenza to chickens. IF THIS HAPPENS, ALL THE

> CHICKENS ON THE FARM MUST BE KILLED AND BURNED OR BURIED.

>

> DANGER OR NUISANCE TO PEOPLE

> 1. POLLUTION OF WATER- Ground water contamination is a real

threat. We are

> on the watershed that feeds into the Quabbin Reservoir, which gives

water

> to Boston and over 30 surrounding communities, The MDS

Superintendent of

> the Quabbin Reservior has written is a letter stating that " The MDC

would

> discourage the activity " (of free ranging our birds).

> 2. DAVALUATION- A major threat to neighbors would be the

devaluation of

> their land because of the proximity to messy chicken pastures.

>

> ECONOMIC HARDSHIP

> OR COULD PRESIDENT BUSH

> AFFORD HIS RANDH IN HABBARDSTON?

> 1. COST OF LAND- Land for free ranging done in the proper way

would put us

> out of business. Two authentic poultry textbooks * written when free

> ranging was THE way both recommend 100 birds to the acre. To satisfy

our

> 67,000 hens, we would require 670 acres. It is doubtful if 670 acres

of

> organic pastureland are available in Massachusetts. If it were, a

modest

> price would be $5,000 per acre. This 670 acres would then cost

$3,350,000,

> a sum that would cause us to face bankruptcy.

> 2. EXTRA LABOR- We would need an armed border patrol to keep

out

> predators. Every day would resemble a Giant Easter Egg Hunt as

workers

> fanned out to find eggs laid in the grass of 670 acres.

>

> A PROFESSOR GIVES HIS APPROVAL

> Dr. Louis van der Heide, DVM, Professor Emeritus of

Pathobiology at the

> University of Connecticut, often visits our farm to check the

general

> conditions. He has had extensive poultry experience in both Holland

and the

> U.S. In the 1950's, when he was in Holland, many small egg farms

still used

> this free-range system. He has read this paper. In his opinion, our

hens

> are " not under stress and are perfectly comfortable. " We give each

bird 1.5

> square feet of space, six times the space given in cages. They live

in the

> floor (not cages) and can fly, hop, scratch, stretch, or snooze as

they

> wish. Windows allow daylight to enter. For five months a year, the

windows

> are open allowing fresh air to enter naturally.

>

> SUMMARY

> If we were to correctly implement a free-range system, we

could not

> continue in business.

> The USDA Organic Rule 205.239 seems to provide an exception in

the wording

> of (a)(1) which reads as follows: " (1) Access to the outdoors,

shade,

> shelter, exercise areas, fresh air, and direct sunlight suitable to

the

> species, its stage of production, the climate and the ENVIRONMENT. "

> Since the threat to the purity of Boston water supply is such

an important

> issue, we believe that the NOSB (National Organic Standards Board)

should

> give us an exemption on this ENVIRONMENTAL issue.

>

> Please indicate your choice:

> ___ NO The Chickens should not be given access to the outdoors

> ___ YES The Chickens should have access to the outdoors

>

> Name

> Address

> Phone/email

>

>

>

>

> * Poultry Breeding and Management, Professor JAmes Dryden, Oregon

Agric.

> College, 1925, pg. 192, 100/acre.

> Practical Poultry Farming, Louis M. Hurd, Cornell University,

1939, Pg.

> 14- 100/acre.

>

>

> _________________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

> >

> >

> > Please indicate your choice:

> > ___ NO The Chickens should not be given access to the outdoors

> > __X_ YES The Chickens should have access to the outdoors

> >

> > Name

> > Address

> > Phone/email

> >

> > > >

> >

> > _________________________________________________________

> >

[Guest guest]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Please don't check a box! This will NOT get to that farmer.

I was just sharing the points they made about why they don't free range to

see what you all thought.

I have to admit to feeling misled, because I took free walking hens to mean

hens that could eat bugs and grass!

Ramit

>Please indicate your choice:

>___ NO The Chickens should not be given access to the outdoors

>___ YES The Chickens should have access to the outdoors

_________________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

> NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

>

> Please don't check a box! This will NOT get to that farmer.

> I was just sharing the points they made about why they don't free

range to

> see what you all thought.

> I have to admit to feeling misled, because I took free walking hens

to mean

> hens that could eat bugs and grass!

>

> Ramit

>

> >Please indicate your choice:

> >___ NO The Chickens should not be given access to the outdoors

> >___ YES The Chickens should have access to the outdoors

>

>

> _________________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

> NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

>

> Please don't check a box! This will NOT get to that farmer.

> I was just sharing the points they made about why they don't free

range to

> see what you all thought.

> I have to admit to feeling misled, because I took free walking hens

to mean

> hens that could eat bugs and grass!

>

> Ramit

>

> >Please indicate your choice:

> >___ NO The Chickens should not be given access to the outdoors

> >___ YES The Chickens should have access to the outdoors

>

>

> _________________________________________________________

>