The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: princesspiggy on January 07, 2011, 02:12:50 pm

Title: battery hens.
Post by: princesspiggy on January 07, 2011, 02:12:50 pm
i stopped buying and using battery hen eggs many years, i wasnt even sure they were that common in uk now, i thought that the laws were changing.
now just seen an advert by tesco saying that some of their pasta range is now made using by free range eggs!
im quite horrified cos that must mean iv been eating battery eggs and supporting that horrific trade, all along and not realised it !!  ??? >:( >:(
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: sheila on January 07, 2011, 02:18:51 pm
We have the biggest battery hen farm in europe about a mile away from my house. They have recently extended it and gone double decker! Apparently they supply all the major supermarkets here and abroad.
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: robert waddell on January 07, 2011, 02:29:03 pm
you have to look at the label and small print the suppermarkets  are famous for being economic with the truth as far as labeling goes if they think they can get away with it they will print it and apologise profusely afterwards but the wording has been planted in your brain
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: johnmac on January 07, 2011, 09:48:39 pm
I believe about 90% of all processed foods contain battery eggs ( if the recipe requires it?) going from a programme I saw a few months back.... The reason it's so high is processed foods need to be as cheaply put together as possible, so need the cheapest ingredients to keep overheads down and profit to a maximum.

:-( sad but true
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: doganjo on January 07, 2011, 09:56:09 pm
So we've all got some of that stuff inside us?  >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: johnmac on January 08, 2011, 01:34:38 am
Yip.. Afraid so! And I work in the food industry.. Every penny is a prisoner, and don't be fooled by the 'finest' ranges or 'this is MandS food' they're all at it! Anything being sold in a supermarket has a tiny margin for the supplier....  And now they all contain DIOXINS?!?! Aaargghhhhh

don't panics Captain Mannering!!

Didn't they say that about BSE?!? :-0
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: egbert on January 08, 2011, 11:24:43 am
What are Dioxins?  ???

You hear all these terms on the telly but never know what they really are.

I know food we buy has battery eggs in, but I am so glad I at least have fresh eggs from my own garden every day for the food I make at home.  ::)
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: johnmac on January 08, 2011, 12:12:42 pm
I believe dioxins are a carbon/chlorine based chemical. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) are a common form in the food industry... Reason being is that dioxins are used in some animal husbandry circumstances.. i.e. Painting a fish tank... Fish then ingest the flaking paint.. Which contains dioxins. I think creosote might have also caused dioxins? Hence why it's banned.

Complicated?!?

Basically a good argument for chemical free natural organic farming!! ?!
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: HappyHippy on January 08, 2011, 12:22:23 pm
I've only just caught this thread - Johnmac I think I watched the same TV programme you did  ;)
It's not only battery eggs you've got to worry about, but also 'liquid' eggs  :P These are apparently all the ones with dodgy (maybe even broken, I'm not sure) shells, so they blitz them all up and use them in stuff too blurgh !
Hellmans mayonaise (the biggest/leading brand) only started using free range eggs in their products within the last 6-12 months and it's scary the amount of stuff that is made with battery eggs - I still maintain that a photo of a battery hen and a free range hen above the egg display would see battery sales plummet - I mean really ? How many people would want to eat a battery egg when you see the state of the poor hens  ???
But not to worry, my 7 year old (Rebecca) is a mini-me, and following Doganjo's example, now loiters at the egg display in shops waiting to educate the unsuspecting public  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: doganjo on January 08, 2011, 12:48:34 pm
But not to worry, my 7 year old (Rebecca) is a mini-me, and following Doganjo's example, now loiters at the egg display in shops waiting to educate the unsuspecting public  ;D ;D ;D
I must admit I haven't had to do that in Morrisons lately - I even heard one woman saying - "I'm not buying those eggs the hens are bad used!"  YAY!!!!
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: princesspiggy on January 08, 2011, 05:12:09 pm
we dont buy alot of processed food but gona have to look again at what we buy, never want to be responsible for battery hens, which i am as iv been eating their eggs unknowlingly. nearly got caught out with eggs the other day - had words SCOTTISH  written on it so picked them up before i realised they werent free range. i though the laws were changing shortly but half of europe havent complied yet?
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: robert waddell on January 09, 2011, 12:37:18 pm
in responce to egbert
Dioxins
Dioxins are a group of chemicals commonly formed as by-products of industrial combustion and chemical processes, such as manufacturing of chemicals, pesticides, steel and paints, pulp and paper bleaching, exhaust emissions and incineration
Main source of dioxin contamination of food for human consumption is contaminated animal feed
Dioxins are absorbed by fatty tissue of cattle, poultry, pork and seafood. Foods high in animal fat, such as milk, meat, fish and eggs (and foods produced with them) are the main source of dioxins although all foods contains some
Dioxins are found throughout the industrialised world, in air, water and soil, as well as in food
Dioxins can cause problems for people if they are absorbed at high levels for long periods
They have been shown in lab tests to cause a wide range of effects in certain animals, such as cancer and damage to the immune and reproductive systems, including low sperm count and learning difficulties
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: ramblerskitchen on January 09, 2011, 01:59:27 pm
I also live near to a massive battery farm, also with state of the art 2 storey barns.  Although the legislation has changed giving the public the idea that battery hens are kept in better conditions, the conditions are still horrific.  Crammed into small pens, no bedding, no natural light, cages stacked one on top of each other. 

I recently bought hens from the battery farm, who now have a great life in my garden.  I was allowed into one of the barns (only as I knew the bloke who worked there)  On the floor there must had been at least 100 dead chickens who had died over night.... and that is usual apparently.  Buy free range or if you can, keep your own.  They are great fun, mine even come in doors if I let the!!!
Title: Re: battery hens.
Post by: princesspiggy on January 10, 2011, 06:53:20 pm
a friend of mine grew up on a broiler farm , and they would often drop dead if scared, dodgy hearts.