Free Range Layers.

Post by **saint-spoon** » 09 Jun 2008, 12:19

What happens to the free range egg laying chooks once they are no longer producing enough eggs to make them profitable? Are there any ex free range rescues or do they all go the same way as their poor battery reared counterparts? Is there even an organisation that looks after them or is the whole poultry welfare effort going to the battery girls? confused>

Post by **wendy** » 09 Jun 2008, 12:33

They go exactly the same way as the Battery Hens. To slaughter about 15 - 18 months old.
Yes they do have rescue's of these birds. I did one March 2007 of the Brighton hens. They are usually under the same umberlla of chicken rescue. Except I don't think BHWT do any at all.
I have a someone I correspond with who has a large free range colony in Wales. Hopefully we can rehome some of those next year when the time is right.
So these hens will also go into the same food chain as the battery hens. Still having a very short life. But not been forced into the living conditions, although sometimes it is a little too big a concern.I still would only have the battery hens, although these girls need homes also.
Wendy

lou · Post by **lou** » 09 Jun 2008, 15:15

Why are they slaughtered that young? they should have a natural life? and so the hens are good layers for years? Not like in a battery where they are kept in artificial conditions?

Post by **wendy** » 09 Jun 2008, 15:20

No answer to that one Lou ??
Just the way that the farmers/big retailers are. They want regulation size eggs.. So they out them while they are young.
Wendy

Post by Mo » 09 Jun 2008, 15:40

Commercial 'free range' are still the high egg producing hybrids. And presumably fed to produce 300+ eggs the first year.

After that you get moulting and laying soft shells and potential problems.

With hens in the garden, even if you don't say as some of the forum members do "they are pets, we love them, the eggs are a bonus" you have only the cost of feed to cover before you are 'in profit' and 3 or 4 eggs a week will do that.
If you are trying to make a living, you have feed, housing, land rent, staff costs, packing, transport etc. to make from the wholesale price. The cost of rearing new hens is small compared to all that, so they will use those expensive buildings and land to house reliable layers.

Effie · Post by **Effie** » 09 Jun 2008, 17:58

I was surprised to see

'Free Range Chicken Stock'

on the shelves in one of our large supermarkets - I think I know where the egg layers go

You can also buy 'free range chicken' cat and dog food.

When all's said and done, it's a better 15 months than in a battery.

Effie

Post by **saint-spoon** » 09 Jun 2008, 19:04

very true, there's a free range place not far from here and the chicks all look very happy scraping around.

lou · Post by **lou** » 11 Jun 2008, 17:15

Funny enough i have just been reading that the laws for free range chickens is very minimal, unless you buy eggs that are soil association certified that are free range organic then they get very good standard of welfare. The free range hens, may only have a limited time outside, however the ground maybe bare and the hens will still get artificial conditions indoors to promote laying still and can be fed on the same rubbish as battery hens and given the same anti-biotics and other dr-ugs.
I just got this from a HFW book i just bought my Dad and had a quick browse through....

Post by **wendy** » 11 Jun 2008, 17:45

That's right Lou.
Best bet is to get everyone as a backyard chicken keeper.
Wendy

Post by Mo » 12 Jun 2008, 10:02

When I used to buy eggs I looked for Soil Association eggs, but they were hard to find.
I saw a tv programme (8 years ago?) saying that the 'free range hens might be kept indoors when young so that they would learn to lay inside, the ground round the houses might be fouled so more antibiotics used than the 'hygenic' battery systems, and in a big barn the hens lower down the peck order were not allowed to use the popholes. They might have plenty of field/hen but as they only go a short distance from the house most of it would be unused if they were in a big barn in a big field.

Effie · Post by **Effie** » 13 Jun 2008, 17:06

Another thing I have been wondering about since I got my ex-bats is how 'free ranging' chooks mainatain shell standards. )ot:

sorry

After 2 months of utter spoiltness and freedom to eat whatever they want (mostly all my plants, any of our food we are foolish enough to let them near - and a sparrow chick :shock:

) the quality of the shells went down hill.

All this week, they have been restricted to the run and eating only layers pellets. Already, there is a marked improvement in the shell quality and a massive increase in my guilt

How much foraging do the free range hens get to do? I'm guessing the process is still strictly controlled to maintain production quality. Not necessarily the idylic existance I had imagined.

Are conditions different for 'organic' standards.

Post by Mo » 13 Jun 2008, 21:26

Not sure about Organic in general, but Soil Association organic are strict. Smaller groups of hens instead of huge sheds, more pop-holes so that they can all get out etc.
You can find their standards by going to http://www.soilassociation.org/ and looking at the quick
links at the top of the page