Free-range Chickens Are More Prone To Disease

Written by veterinarians attempt at sociology. Probably a publish or perish thing.

Loved the bit about 'cages as humane housing' vs free range.

I don't believe if. I've raised free range chickens, and I've seen the chicken barns. This is like saying that prisonized humans are healthier than free range humans. A free range human may be more at risk from random events in the environment, but if you raise free range chickens from a flock of free range chickens, or even better, wild chickens, this effect will not be seen. They quote E Coli. as the largest cause of death. That must mean that the chickens are free ranged in a specific farm area that is loaded with the stuff. It isn't a randomly occurring death if a human dies from it. There is specific sources for it, and tangible reasons why. To my knowledge E Coli is not transmitted airborne. There is no question that quality of life goes up as free range expands. The question shouldn't even by "Why are the chickens dying?" The question should be "How do I extend the life of the chickens, while producing more happiness for them, and subsequently, help them to produce better eggs?" "What makes a chicken happy?"

I believe this is an example of 'closed loop' inquiry, where the conditions for the experiments can not be sufficiently known ahead of time. This sort of inquiry requires many iterations to eliminate the negative factors, in order to produce answers. This assumes that the purpose of the inquiry is to promote longevity and higher production. What is the real purpose of having an article of this nature published? It also states in the article that the pens and free range containment was mandated by law. This is the sort of publishing that one might see if the NVI were heavily influenced by the farmers, as the farming costs rise as range goes up.

Therefore, I think we should modify our models of science, where results based on the scientific method, but biased researchers or publishers, must pass through a comparative non-biased appraisal, and a complete public board of inquiry . There seems to be always a spin on results. Einstein didn't spin his results when he published relativity. He just puts it out there for others to critique. What about Michelson-Morely? the results are reproducible, and the experimental set up published.

I know.. you are going to say that 'social' types of assessments are not able to be reproduced due to the ad hoc nature of the inquiry. I say, all the more reason for the details and conditions of the inquiry to be completely evaluated, and published with any results. Results like this should be offered as an Opinion on the process, as they are insufficient to explain all the variables anyway. The innuendo and suggestion that is wrong here, is that chickens are healthier if caged. The result is obviously wrong. They don't even tell you the actual results and ratios. They only get the answer THEY want.. its deshpicable.

Chris

My radar went off at the use of the word 'humane'. It indicates a position more linked to legislation through placation..ie...it's in the interest of a self-interest or lobby group. If so, then it might also be a instrument to get the greens to lobby for the practice of keeping chickens to end...ostensibly for medical and/or BS humanitarian reasons. I think there's more to this than meets the eye.

And yep....my free ranging chickens seem to be quite happy and my garden is fairly bug free. The hawk likes 'em too.

Maintaining a chicken in a sanitized environment is naturally going to result in lower exposure to disease organisms- why does one need to spend a great deal of money determining this? Another aspect is, do you want to eat free-range chickens whose meat is loaded with antibiotics, much like the beef we eat?

I am not convinced that a chicken is going to be less "happy", or perhaps "psychologically challenged" just because it lives in a cage. The chicken would not be living were it not living in the cage, simply because it would not have been raised to maturity otherwise. However, I am not going to keep chickens in a cage, because I don't want to live in a cage. That says more about me than it does about the "happiness" of the chicken...

Since when are free range chickens loaded with anti-biotics? If anything the exact opposite is true. Chickens, like anything living in a crowded environment will be susceptible to disease.

They are born in an environment where they are free to come and go. In that environment they develop a natural immunity without any need for anti-biotics.

Mine are healthy, fat and lay a lot of eggs. I've never medicated them for anything.

This brings to mind the story of 'Mike the headless chicken."

Just google it if you haven't heard it.

Yeah.....lived for 6 months without a head. Fed through a spigot. I personally found that revolting and exceptionally cruel.

Yeah,

It does look that way but you got to remember that chicken was 'headed' for the stewpot anyway and as it happened I doubt it actually got eaten.

I allso had no malicious intent in mentioning the story. It's just that when I first read about it, it turned my thinking upside down. How could anything live without a head for any length of time? Talk about a shift of perspective. It was a real WOW moment.

It's not like I don't like chickens. I grew up with them. My folks had a small (150-300 'head') chicken ranch at Rockford, WA (just outside Spokane). I nearly always had a pet rooster from the outcasts.

On the other hand I've known people with a head who had no use for it.

Yes we have a surplus of those over here too. Basic hat rack, then add a Brain Leach (Cell Phone) and get a negative intelligence quotient.

Brad

If you take chickens that are bred in and for cages and then use them for free range you will get dead chickens.

If you take people and keep them in a disease free/ restricted environment for a significant part of their life and then let them out into the world most will die.

Chickens bred for super markets are chosen for Egg laying, meat production, fast growth and minimum food intake in a caged environment. Not Free range.

How many years did it take of selective breading to get them to do well in cages. Now they try to get them not to be agoraphobic and to be socially functional.

I got it we made a fish that can breath air but they keep drowning when we put them in water.

They should have given the project to a bunch of FFA kids. Coming off the farm they would have figured it out, maybe before the actions taken.

Brad

Abso-chicken-lutely!