228 Million eggs recalled

I agree that naturally raising chickens is better for the conscience. They are quite happy though. Kind of like an inside pet. They still chase each other, bury themselves in the shavings, lay in the sun, and do that silly hoppy flappy run.
they don't know anything different.
All large farming operations are not to blame. We do our best to follow strict guidelines on cruelty,and disease. I wouldn't want the products coming from my farm to be the cause of sickness or death in any individual or animal.There are exceptions ,like everything, where the producer is only interested in the bottom line.
That being said you can find people who are cruel to animals everywhere . Most of them are not in the large farming industry but people who keep them in their back yards.

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Chris
http://aberryvinefarm.blogspot.com/

Most of the eggs from the store are from chickens who don't have those luxuries.

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I'm an environmentalist, left wing, Ron Paul loving Prius driver with a farm. If you have a problem with that, kindly go take a leap.

So big deal. Why is it that is what is wrong with big farms like that? So they don't get out to "wonder around" Who says they even want to do that, and fight for survival?
Does it mean a better nutritious egg?
Does it mean a better tasting egg?
Does it mean less cholesterol?

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Oh my, dishes yet to wash and dry

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Amen, Windy. That is EXACTLY where most current health problems begin. No one has any natural immunities anymore because every time they have a sniffle they demand antibiotics, every time they open a door or shake hands with someone they follow up with antibacterial gel, and on and on.

Seriously, folks, we're the architects of our own demise.

As for the eggs, you couldn't pay me enough to buy "consumer" eggs from the grocery store. Not that I'm frightened of them, because I know that, realistically, there is little chance of my getting ill from them -- like most food, stuff happens, but if you look at how many eggs are consumed in North America on a daily basis... well, chances are low.

My problem with them is that they taste like crap. I won't waste calories on garbage "food" -- and that only BEGINS with the conditions in which many (not all, so those of you with egg-raising family, don't jump on me) of these layers are kept in. IMHO, sunshine and fresh air are basic requirements to producing a good egg.

YMMV.

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Ignorance is the true enemy.

I've seen the village, and I don't want it raising my children.

www.newcenturyhomestead.com

Actually, yes it does! Now you're thinking!

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I'm an environmentalist, left wing, Ron Paul loving Prius driver with a farm. If you have a problem with that, kindly go take a leap.

People who try to place human emotions and thoughts on animals.

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Deja Moo; The feeling I've heard this bull before.

Chris30523, it sounds to me like you are trying to find a good balance between large-scale farming and humane practices.

I do not agree with factory farming practices (on any level), yet I fully understand that backyard flocks cannot feed the world. I do feel; however, that operations more closely resembling Chris30523's explanation could work as a happier medium.

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Nerds on a nano-farm - since 2005

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don't.

Not when it comes to lowering C. That is a fact only left for the large farms that create eggs lower in C. And that means it is healthier then back yard ones. And as far as taste, that is just subjective to what a person is used to eating and fixing things.

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And then some of y'all have to try as hard as possible to pretend they have no feelings at all so you can treat them like little machines and not have to worry about their suffering.....

2 can play that game!

If I find any of those eggs in our fridge, I'm going to throw them away.

The radio said that we were supposed to return them.

But the though of someone trying to put them back in the chicken just seems a bit cruel.

No worries here, you couldn't pay me to eat a chicken factory egg.

They are nothing like true free ranged eggs. It's like a different product, i.e home made banana cake compared to a twinkie.

No matter what some people think. We need the large factory farms. Without them many people would starve.
Maybe some are like me, they do not realize the number of people the farms have to feed.
I just recently learned there are buildings in the U.S. that have their own zip code.
I don't think those people are going to be free ranging a flock of chickens but they still need to eat.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/jack-...ry?id=11440513

I don't think this article has been posted.

I agree with whoever said the eggs in the store are disgusting tasting. As long as you don't live in an apartment, most people can keep 4-6 birds providing all of their own eggs.

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Idleness is leisure gone to seed

Providing that the City, Town, and Village you live in and Millions and millions of people live in these places, As long as those places have laws saying you can keep a few chickens.
As most towns even very small ones like my home town of 600 people you Can Not Keep any type of livestock inside city limits. So saying most people can keep a few birds is really not even close, to what can really take place.

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Yup, 4-6 birds is enough to keep a small household in eggs. Doesn't scratch up the backyard and there's enough out there for them to get 90% of their diet from free range. At least, that's how it works at our house. Four Rhode Island Reds and one Barred Rock hen and we have plenty of eggs. They are real tasty eggs, too! More healthy for us, too.

I don't think it's a good thing to have that many of any sort of creature - whether it's chickens or humans - to be living in such close quarters with each other, but I'm not responsible for them, I'm only responsible for me.

ok, those that live in apartments, and those that live in places with restrictions, but many people COULD keep chickens and don't. I'm just saying that keeping 4-6 hens is relatively easy to fence, house and feed. Plus they are fun to watch and their eggs are great.

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Idleness is leisure gone to seed

Most folks don't care to be bothered with that.
Most folks don't want to return to the 1800's.

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Deja Moo; The feeling I've heard this bull before.

It may seem simple for those on here, but you people that homestead are a very select few, and do not represent the majority of the population of the USA.
And cites and towns have ordinances against such practices.
A few a changing that so you can have a few hens only, in the city, but those are few and far between, and even at that, there are just a handful that would even consider such a thing.
It is way too easy just to go into a store and buy a carton or 2 of eggs, less fuss, and sure is a lot less hassle. Not to homesteaders, but to the majority it is.~!
And that then leaves these large farms to produce the eggs, and the meat, and milk. Like it or not that is what is happening now in the 21st century.

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My SIL would never eat free ranged eggs, she thought they were disgusting as they came out of a chickens butt.

She would only ever eat the nice grocery eggs. LOL

Arabian Knight is right, there is a market for said products. Many folk don't care, or even want to know where their food comes from. Some have no choice but to buy the cheapest available. Companies know this and cater for them, often cutting corners to be able to provide cheaper foods.

Having your own flock of chickens? Many folk would not even attempt such a thing, thinking that it may be dirty, or the birds are vicious, or are too lazy to provide anything for themselves. But you also have those that live in apartments, in rentals, or those that again, cannot even afford the chickens.
I also think it's best that some folk do not have any, as they probably would not be taken care of.

I keep hearing people say if it weren't for mass production of food, we'd all starve.

Seems that people can't afford, or don't have room or time for raising food, but they can have backyard swimming pools, or can have horses they feed but don't ride. Or they can afford a big trailer and gas to take them riding. Or people can afford big dogs and dog food.

Interesting that chickens are restricted, yet big dogs are okay while they crap, bark, bite, dig, chew stuff up, get into garbage, etc, etc.

When you see all the time and money people spend on other pursuits, I don't know how we can say, especially on a homesteading site, that there's no way for people to raise their own food. Most simply don't want to. And with the government's cheap food policy, there's less motivation to do so.

And by the way, starvation is not the current concern. Obesity is. Resulting from too much cheap food, and too little work, moving a body. Most could walk out and feed the chickens once a day and double their exercise.