In the last decade or so, raising backyard chickens has become a popular hobby. Maybe it’s due to a receession-era homesteading impulse, or people prioritizing really local food. However, live chickens and ducks have been linked to almost 1,000 known cases of Salmonella, which have sent hundreds of people to the hospital and killed one person. About one-third of those cases were in children under age 5. [More]
chickens
That Sounds Offal! How Much Do You Know About Your Organ & “Variety” Meats?
October 5, 2016
Offal — the edible organs and other trimmings from a livestock animal — gets a bad rap, mostly because of the initial ick-factor associated with the idea of chowing down on a brain, testicle, ear, or tail. The “offal” name certainly hasn’t helped. Yet for folks around the world, these “variety meats” are everyday fare. [More]
Cage-Free Eggs Are More Profitable For Retailers Than Conventional Eggs
By 3.25.16
As food retailers and restaurants announce to the public that they plan to switch to all cage-free eggs on their shelves and in their products, here’s something to keep in mind: the retailers, at least, are going to make more money after the change is fully phased in. That’s because cage-free eggs only cost only fifteen cents per dozen more to produce, but retailers can charge double for them. [More]
Tennessee Authorities Investigating Allegations Of Animal Cruelty At Chicken Farm Dumped By Tyson, McDonald’s
By 8.31.15
Last week, Tyson Foods and McDonald’s said they were cutting ties with a poultry farm in Tennessee that was accused by an animal rights group of mistreating and abusing chickens. Authorities in that state now confirm they’re looking into the allegations of criminal animal cruelty by operators of the farm. [More]
McDonald’s, Tyson Foods Cutting Ties With Poultry Farm Over Alleged Mistreatment Of Chickens
By 8.27.15
McDonald’s and supplier Tyson Foods are promising to stop working with a Tennessee chicken farm after an animal rights group released images from hidden cameras showing alleged mistreatment of the birds. [More]
It Ain’t Over Yet: Bird Flu Aftershocks Will Keep Egg, Whole Turkey Prices High
By 8.17.15
Though the bird flu crisis might be over now, the toll it’s taken on egg and poultry producers in the U.S. will continue for quite some time. Industry experts say egg prices will climb higher than previously predicted, and stay high through 2016. Meanwhile, frozen wholesale turkeys will also cost more this Thanksgiving than last year. [More]
Foster Farms Investigating “Inappropriate” Behavior At Poultry Facilities Captured In Undercover Video
By 6.17.15
Poultry producer Foster Farms says it’s investigating after an animal advocacy group filmed undercover video at one of its slaughterhouses in Fresno and nearby farms owned by the company. Police are also investigating allegations of mistreatment, after receiving a complaint from the group Mercy for Animals. [More]
Terrible People Have Stolen 25 Chickens From Nonprofit’s Coop In Series Of Heists
By 5.27.15
We’ve heard about no good, very bad and otherwise terrible people pilfering produce from nonprofit organizations in the past (tangerines, pumpkins, corn, onions), and now it appears poultry is also on the list of things thieves are willing to swipe from their rightful owners. [More]
Prices For Eggs, Turkey Meat Starting To Rise As Bird Flu Outbreak Continues
By 5.12.15
We’ve heard warnings that Thanksgiving turkey supplies could suffer a hit this season amid a severe outbreak of avian flu in the Midwest that began in April, and now it appears consumers will begin to see effects in their wallets. The prices for eggs and turkey meat are going up as more chickens and turkeys fall to the disease. [More]
Perdue Stops Using Antibiotics In Chicken Hatcheries
By 9.3.14
There’s some good news for a change for those concerned about the rampant use of antibiotics in animal feed. Perdue, the nation’s most well-known chicken producer claims that 95% of its chickens will now be antibiotic-free (sort of) after removing all antibiotics from chicken hatcheries. [More]
Chicken Breeder: Blame Higher Poultry Prices On Fat, Impotent Roosters
By 7.10.14
As both pork and beef prices continue to see record highs, you might be reaching for chicken instead. But those nuggets may be a bit dearer soon, as the world’s largest chicken breeder says it’s found that an important breed of rooster has a genetic issue that’s seriously mucking up its fertility mojo. [More]
Obviously Your Urban Chickens Need $20 Reflective Safety Vests
By 10.24.13 — Updated: 10.25.13
Chicken-keeping has become more and more popular in urban and suburban areas, thanks to a new emphasis on local and more ethically-sourced food in our culture. That’s good. But what happens when your chickens wander outside of the confines of their coop and your lawn and encounter traffic? Don’t worry: neon safety vests for chickens are a thing now. [More]
Is That "Organic" Egg A Good Egg?
By 5.19.11
Not all organic eggs are created equal. While different cartons of eggs might all have the same “Organic! Yay!” label slapped on them, standards for what that means can vary from farm to farm. One might meet minimum USDA or Federal standards while another has no real outdoor access for the chickens to speak of. To help you navigate the bedeviling array of options, The Cornucopia Institute has created an Organic Egg Scorecard to rate farms on a 5-egg system. Small farms with lots of pasture for the chickens to frolic in rate highly, while eggs put out by Trader Joe’s, Kirkland, and Price Chopper only get a one egg rating. [More]
Scientist Says He's Found The Secret To Breeding Nicer Chickens
By 4.28.10
Among the problems faced by chicken breeders who pack their chickens into close quarters is that the territorial birds will often henpeck each other, often to the point of cannibalism. One way to cut down on chicken-on-chicken crime is to trim the beaks of the birds. But a professor at Purdue University thinks he’s found the solution — breed nicer chickens. [More]
Pay Your Doctor In Chickens
By 4.21.10
Sue Lowden, a senate candidate in Nevada, says if you want to combat health care costs you should consider bartering with your doctor. In an appearance on a local political talk show yesterday, she clarified her proposal: [More]
Secret Film Of Hy-Line Hatchery Shows "Inappropriate Action" Of Workers
By 9.2.09
If you get easily upset at animal welfare stories, skip this post or come back to it later when you’ve mentally prepared yourself. It’s sort of messed up. On the other hand, haven’t you always wondered how hatcheries can produce only female chickens?
Should You Keep Your Own Chickens?
By 8.6.09
We’re gonna say “nope.” But since we’re all here, let’s look at the recent New York Times article over the subject and consider whether the current “chicken boomlet” is right for you.
By 7.8.09
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The FDA has issued a new ruling that says egg producers must “test regularly for salmonella and buy chicks from suppliers who do the same,” and that eggs “will have to be refrigerated on the farm and during shipment” as well as by wholesalers and in the store. The rule is meant to cut down on the number of egg-related salmonella cases nationwide, which currently are around 142,000 a year. [Washington Post] (Photo: Andreas Kollegger)
