Wed, 14 Jan 2009

Free-range chickens are more prone to disease

Read the fine print - even the authors admit this is horseshit.

The authors emphasize that, because of the change in housing systems that occurred between 2001 and 2004, many of the farmers caring for these flocks lacked the experience and knowledge that would have prevented the higher mortality and disease rates.

Apparently they just took battery caged chickens, from breeds that have characteristics to live well in cages (larger, less mobile), and dropped them on the floor - calling them free range! I've never had a disease problem in my laying flocks. In fact, outside of one plague that came in from the outside and decimated a meat flock of mine several years ago, I have lost exactly twelve chickens to disease, out of the thousands that I've raised. I've lost more chickens to old age and predators than I have to disease.

As for the claim that free range birds peck each other - well, duh! They can't peck each other in battery cages - there's not enough room! And a simple beak trim while chicks prevents all henpecking. Maybe that's the "expertise" the farmers lacked, although I find that very hard to believe.

I wonder what agribusiness paid for this study?

Chickens kept in litter-based housing systems, including free-range chickens, are more prone to disease than chickens kept in cages, according to a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica.

(link) [EurekAlert!]

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