NAEF Corrects Misinformation in Washington Post
On August 3rd NAEF responded to the Washington Post article about “Happier Chickens”. The WaPo author concluded erroneously that chickens are “happier” when they
NAEF Corrects Misinformation in Washington Post
On August 3rd NAEF responded to the Washington Post article about “Happier Chickens”. The WaPo author concluded erroneously that chickens are “happier” when they no longer in cages, but NAEF felt it must strive to correct her misconception about the way eggs should be produced.
I enjoyed reading the article in the July 31st issue of the Washington Post "Are Chickens Happier When They're Cage-Free - It's Hard to Tell."
It's true there are trade-offs in any production system. Perhaps a few facts from the recent study conducted by the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply will help. The co-director, Dr. Joy Mench from University of California-Davis, reported the following from that study at the International Poultry Production and Processing Exposition in Atlanta, GA on January 26, 2016:
- 1.Total accumulated mortality was highest in the aviary (cage-free) system (11.5 percent), due to aggressive pecking and cannibalism. It was 4.7 percent in conventional cages.
- 2.Bone strength was lowest in conventional cages due to lack of exercise.
- 3.Using conventional production as a baseline, aviary production was 36 percent higher inof the eggs.
- 4.The aviary system had dust levels 8-10 times higher than other systems.
- 5.The aviary system resulted in high worker exposure to endotoxin dust particles and reduced lung function by the end of a shift.
- 6.The aviary system also presented ergonomic challenges; hens laying in litter resulted in a lo