Haven't we learnt the lesson with cattle?

[wafflycat]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/may/04/foodtech.food

"Outrage at European moves to feed animal remains to chickens"

"The European Union is preparing plans to allow pig remains to be used to feed poultry. The practice - banned in Europe after the BSE crisis 10 years ago - would save farmers millions of pounds as prices of cereal feed for chickens soar, say officials in Brussels."

[wendy]

Beyond belief !!
I am glad I don't eat meat.
Wendy

[Mo]

Not so long ago, when people slaughtered their pig they used 'everything except the squeak'.
Nothing wrong with that, if done properly.

The trouble arose with BSE because standards had been relaxed. Rendering temperatures were reduced, the research service that could have picked up early warning signs had been cut back. And then the government was more concerned to 'reasure' the public than find the facts and act on the precautionary principle.

I wouldn't want to see hens fed on diseased corpses of their own species or close relatives. And research and monitoring would be needed.

My hens get table scraps, if they have been cooked fit for human consumption they are fit for hens. If hens can be fed on properly prepared feed that would otherwise be wasted, that is more grain available for people.

[saint-spoon]

Wise words indeed. It depends on careful controlling of what goes into the feed after all chickens are not vegetarian by design, only by what they are given to eat. I can see trouble from the unscrupulous amongst the farming community who may abuse the system and also from concentration of contaminants (fishmeal in pig food tainting eggs etc). It’s also slightly depressing to see reactive governments scrabbling around to find half hearted remedies to treat the symptoms of the much larger problem of food shortage….quite simply a tank of eco-fuel takes the same area to grow as enough food for a family of four for one year (it was on the news last week).