Which Chicken Lifestyle choice is right for you? If you’ve been to the supermarket lately, or have thought about marketing your own eggs, you’ve doubtlessly noticed that there is a growing range of “Lifestyle choices”-quality of life standards for the laying hens- boasted about on egg cartons. “Cage Free”, “Free Range”, “Outdoor range” and many more. But what do these descriptions really look like in practice? Are you making the decision that actually reflects your values?
Whether you buy eggs, or you sell them, or you just want a better understanding of the issues, you’ll want to tune in to this weeks show. Joining us is Avia Moore. Avia is a student and intern at the U.C. Davis poultry facility as part of her pursuit of a degree in veterinary medicine, who also has an established career in the Goth/alt fashion industry. She is familiar with the issues of flock management in caged and range environments, and know the various benefits and pitfalls of the different lifestyles of industrial birds. Have a listen, what she has to say may shock you! Did your eggs come from a scene that looks like Little House On The Prairie? Or is it more like a Sex Pistols Mosh Pit? Can you actually tell what chicken lifestyle the hens had? We’ll go over the different choices, and help you find a chicken lifestyle you’re happy with.
And.. if you make eggstra money selling eggs, or are a backyard chicken evangelist, you’ll want to hear about whats going on in the industry to share the news with your neighbors and customers. There are limits to what you can reasonably expect from people who raise birds by the thousands in terms of attention, care, and quality of life. Judgments of the industry aside, its simply impossible for someone to raise 10,000 birds with the same chicken lifestyle as your little backyard flock. Thats part of the appeal of your eggs, and you’ll want to know the alternatives to discuss them for your customers. What will you say when someone asks you why your eggs are twice as much as they are in the store? They’re making a chicken lifestyle choice. Discussing alternatives in chicken lifestyle will make your customers feel confident they made the right decision.
We’re also going to cover issues with the industry that pertain to the back yard chicken enthusiast in Ambers Cabinet of Curiosities. China has recently signed a trade deal with the US to allow processed cooked chicken from China into the US market. If you eat chicken, or sell chicken, you’re going to want to hear the story. Also we’ll talk about A completely preventable tragedy that kills entire flocks of backyard chickens, and threatens their owners weekly in this country. Don’t let it happen to you! And, we’ll look back for a laugh at an article from 2008 that declares the “Backyard Chicken Movement” as a fad. Has the movement grown much since? We’ll look at some numbers.
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