topic Re: A start? in Community Spirit

A start?

twinkles**stars — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:21:49 GMT

All eggs from caged hens will be removed from the shelves of Woolworths over five years as the supermarket responds to growing consumer demand to address animal welfare, the supermarket chain will announce on Friday.

Battery hens lay half of the eggs sold by Woolworths and will be phased out by 2018, affecting 12 caged egg suppliers that will have to shift to a sustainable cage-free model.

The change will mean a rise in egg prices, with caged eggs being the cheapest option, but is expected to be applauded by animal rights groups and ethical consumers.

As part of Woolworths' poultry overhaul, caged eggs will no longer be an ingredient of any home-brand products.

The treatment of chickens used for meat will also have to adhere to the minimum standards set by the RSPCA.

This includes adequate access to water and food, adequate space and freedom from ''discomfort, pain and distress'', according to the guidelines.

Woolworths is not the only chain addressing the treatment of chickens.

Coles announced it would stop selling company-branded caged eggs in October last year, accounting for 350,000 hens that were freed from cages.

Consumers can now buy ''welfare-friendly'' eggs from the Coles-branded products.

The popularity of caged eggs has fallen noticeably in recent years as consumers demand a stronger commitment to animal welfare. In 2009, caged eggs made up 70 per cent of all eggs sold in Woolworths; they now comprise 50 per cent.

A report from the CSIRO on poultry standards shows that caged chickens have a limited ability to perch, fully stretch or lay eggs in a nest. Diseases are also difficult to contain in caged environments, the report said.

But less than five years ago, consumers would not have known if they were buying free-range, barn-laid or caged eggs.

It was only in late 2009 that Woolworths started clearly labelling how their eggs had been farmed, designating free-range, barn-laid and caged eggs.

A report by consumer group Choice found the average cost of cage eggs was 43¢ per 100g, while the cost of barn-laid eggs was 80¢ and free-range eggs 93¢. The report, released this week, found free-range eggs cost more than double the price of cage eggs, but the number of chickens varied from the recommended 1500 chickens per hectare to 20,000 per hectare.

Woolworths' Select brand of free-range eggs have 10,000 chickens per hectare.

Macro, another of Woolworths' brands, lists a chicken stocking density of 1500 birds per hectare – the recommended standard for free-range.

As of last week, the stocking density will now be labelled on all Woolworths Select free-range eggs.

Re: A start?

twinkles**stars — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:23:48 GMT

5 years is a long time IMO.....why not now, unless they are contracted. But a 5 year contract?

Consumers can now buy ''welfare-friendly'' eggs from the Coles-branded products. What does that mean?

Re: A start?

lakeland27 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:32:33 GMT

it means the chickens get an extra half cm of room each.

Re: A start?

annies_fancy_dress — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:34:05 GMT

I have three hens that lay around 5 eggs every three days. They roam free in a large portion of the back yard and often recieve a raw cob of corn or some tasty, grainy bread soaked in soy milk in addition to their dry mix.

I think this is about as free range as you can get.

More people should invest in a trio chooks for their backyard.

Re: A start?

twinkles**stars — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:39:28 GMT

I was given 2 dozen free range duck eggs.....great for baking but not so good for eating IMO

I never buy anything other than free range chuck eggs.....would rather go without. Disgraceful industry and should have been totally banned years ago. Not a fan of RSPCA's ruling either on this issue either.

Re: A start?

lurker17260 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:42:12 GMT

We had 2 1/2 chooks before we moved and I never bought eggs. We were giving them away a lot of the time.
(The half was a silly bantam that only laid when she felt like it. The other two were good Isa Browns)

Re: A start?

cherry*135 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:45:22 GMT

I would say it is just a start twinkles, because if caged eggs aren't collected and sold anymore, there won't be enough free range/organic eggs to take their place at present...leading to a shortage of eggs.

I did read awhile ago that Australia wouldnt be able to or would have trouble producing enough free range eggs to meet demand.

I am very against caged eggs also, don't buy them.

Re: A start?

cherry*135 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:48:48 GMT

@twinkles**stars wrote:

Consumers can now buy ''welfare-friendly'' eggs from the Coles-branded products. What does that mean?

Humane food is food that is animal welfare friendly. Standards on humane or higher welfare farms are higher than those in conventional systems and those required by law.

The RSPCA believes people can eat meat or eggs and still care about the welfare of the animals that provide it.

Re: A start?

spotweldersfriend — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:49:58 GMT

What about production line chicken meat?

Re: A start?

cherry*135 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:56:20 GMT

Updated 16 minutes ago:

Woolworths will phase out all caged eggs sold in their stores by 2018.

The supermarket chain has launched a partnership with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and says it is working with him to introduce a number of significant changes.

As well as phasing out all caged whole eggs by 2018, including those used in Own Brand products, they'll also move to RSPCA, or equivalent approved standards, for all fresh chicken by the end of next year.

The chicken used in Own Brand products will also be RSPCA, or equivalent, approved by the end of 2018.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-04/nrn-woolies-caged-eggs/4998380

Re: A start?

newstart2380 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:29:02 GMT

At the end of the day I want to buy the cheapest eggs available, they are all the same and taste the same and I don't care where they come from.

Now this will upset the animal liberationists but I know a lot of you feel and think the same way as I do, the hip pocket is all important when trying to budget and feed a family.

Don't jump on me with your negetive hate comments, I don't care and have the right to express my opinion.

Re: A start?

cherry*135 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:34:38 GMT

I would care enough not to want to be friends or associates with people that think animal cruelty is OK.

A free range (especially organic) egg is nothing at all like a caged hen egg. Do you not remember what eggs (yolk esp) were like when you were younger (when they were mostly all fresh, free range eggs)?

Re: A start?

newstart2380 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:39:32 GMT

@am*3 wrote:
I would care enough not to want to be friends or associates with people that think animal cruelty is OK.

Did not say I think animal cruelty is OK, never, BUT eggs is eggs. There are far worse cruel things happening to other animals and the way they are slautered to single out the chooks. If you made the decision never to eat animals or products of animals or birds or fish etc etc you would be anarexic so eat up and remember human beings are the cruelist species on earth but we are also the most dominant and intellegent ( supposedly) so it is the survival of the fittest.

Re: A start?

newstart2380 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:41:12 GMT

@am*3 wrote:
I would care enough not to want to be friends or associates with people that think animal cruelty is OK.

A free range (especially organic) egg is nothing at all like a caged hen egg. Do you not remember what eggs (yolk esp) were like when you were younger (when they were mostly all fresh, free range eggs)?

Forgot to add - I can remember when we could buy WHITE egg shells and now you can only buy BROWN egg shells.

Re: A start?

lurker17260 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:43:20 GMT

No, sorry. Real free range eggs are very different from cage or even barn laid. They look and taste quite different.
Probably the cheapest are from chooks in your own backyard.

Re: A start?

cherry*135 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:43:33 GMT

I like brown egg shells. Does it depend on the breed of hen what colour shell the egg has?

I have 2 eggs in the fridge - 1 is brown and the other is off white.

Re: A start?

cherry*135 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:48:41 GMT

If you made the decision never to eat animals or products of animals or birds or fish etc etc you would be anarexic so eat up

Do you mean anorexic or anaemic? Doesn't matter either way as the above statement is completely inaccurate. There are plenty of vegans who are just as healthy as the next person and they eat none of the stuff mentioned above.

Caged birds kept for egg production is cruelty to animals. What do you think happens to these hens when they are no longer useful as egg layers after a fairly short time?

Re: A start?

cherry*135 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:55:31 GMT

Battery cages are banned in all 27 countries of the EU, in Switzerland and in at least 7 States in the US.

Over 90% of the eggs sold in Australia are caged.
In Australia, caged eggs come from the 10.5 million caged hens in battery farms.
A single battery farm can contain thousands of battery hens, stacked in cages five rows high in enclosed sheds.
Battery hens suffer intensely and continuously throughout their lives.

A battery hen spends her entire life laying cramped inside a shared cage.
She will never see the sky.
Each cage holds 3 to 7 hens.
Each hen's floor area is only 450 cm squared, about 3/4 of the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
With her wings outstretched, a hen is twice the size of a typical battery cage.

Then there is debeaking, male chicks are killed at 1 day old etc.

Re: A start?

newstart2380 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:58:08 GMT

@am*3 wrote:
If you made the decision never to eat animals or products of animals or birds or fish etc etc you would be anarexic so eat up

Do you mean anorexic or anaemic? Doesn't matter either way as the above statement is completely inaccurate. There are plenty of vegans who are just as healthy as the next person and they eat none of the stuff mentioned above.

Caged birds kept for egg production is cruelty to animals. What do you think happens to these hens when they are no longer useful as egg layers after a fairly short time?

Sorry, meant anorexic (stupid PC )They probably get knocked on the head same as sheep when they don't produce good wool anymore or cattle when they are past producing calves, milkers when they have dried up or race horses if they are past breeding or geldings if they don't perform and win races, should I go on ?

As for vegans - that's a choice and a different subject all together.

Re: A start?

cherry*135 — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:10:11 GMT

No, vegan (and vegetarians) iwas in reply to you saying if people don't eat meat, fish or other animal products they will be anorexic... complete nonsense.