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Unl0vableDarkness t1_jcykd1e wrote

It's because there's an increase in bird flu. When I log onto the Asda app to buy eggs there's a warning that all eggs are coming from barn chickens currently due to a bird flu outbreak.

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RubAnADUB t1_jcz3clc wrote

once eaten you must submit a form with your name and address so the hens can seek alimony for their children.

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Haterbait_band t1_jcz8jhm wrote

Replying to RubAnADUB (#2,281,474)

Unfertilized eggs. Unless the US changes the law and says that a woman’s period is a living person, I think we can eat eggs without feeling guilty. It’s not like the chickens will eat them, right?

−14

Siegeceejay t1_jczefz6 wrote

Avian flu. Not allowed to be called free range. Now barn reared. Not battery hens at all totally diffrent.

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Haterbait_band t1_jczhhyu wrote

Replying to ledow (#2,282,420)

Yeah, we wanted food production that could keep up with the demand of a growing population. Now we have people that care more about a chicken’s mental health than they care about hungry poor people that can’t afford eggs. Good job humans! I’m sure the Chicken God will reward us for protecting the emotional well-being of his horde of mindless meat robots in the afterlife! The poors will just have to get a second or third job if they want to eat historically inexpensive breakfast foods. It’s worth it simply for the look on the chicken’s emotionless, cold face when it steps food into a spacious field of dirt and shit. And the virtue signaling that the marketing department gets to print on the cartons is just a bonus! “Happy” chickens! Because chickens are capable of feeling complex human emotions! And nothing tastes better than some good ol’ anthropomorphism!

−32

OpalBanana t1_jczldh0 wrote

Replying to Haterbait_band (#2,282,509)

People who don't give much of a shit about chickens continue to buy cheap eggs. You've created a non-problem that takes place in an alternate reality, and then got upset by it.

Intelligence isn't the only metric we use to care about animals. Pigs are more intelligent than dogs, so what? I'll eat a pig, but I'm sure as hell not comfortable eating a dog.

I'm not a vegetarian, but I can't see anything wrong with wanting a world where the animals we eat aren't put through suffering. And yeah, there's lots of things that I'd like to see improved (e.g accessible health care), this is just one of many things we as a society can try to improve.

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3meow_ t1_jczmo9l wrote

" For their welfare "

Fucking lol

−8

TheBupBup t1_jczskni wrote

McDonald's (Ireland) had a sign up in the window today saying eggs are from barn hens and kept inside.

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kunkworks t1_jczvrwu wrote

Can't even house them into retirement.

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Vexonar t1_jczwaah wrote

Replying to 3meow_ (#2,283,032)

Both of those are not mutually exclusive currently. They have to be housed and monitored so any free range outlet is trying to do what's right for their hens and the people who consume their eggs.

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faste30 t1_jczz78b wrote

Been watching clarksons farm and seeing how he had to keep them inside because of it, as well as apparently a big TB outbreak in the UK for cows. Everything is challenging now

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bathshebat t1_jd01nvf wrote

I dunno if the loophole laws have been changed but in the US 'free-range' eggs often means thousands of chickens stuffed in a barn instead of in battery cages, so the health aspect isn't really any better. Still all stuffed together in a closed space.

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ThimeeX t1_jd06umh wrote

Why Free Range Eggs Are Coming Off Supermarket Shelves

> From Monday (March 21), free range eggs will no longer be available in supermarkets. This comes after an outbreak of bird flu, which means that farmers had to move all their chickens indoors.

> The “largest ever outbreak of avian flu” hit the UK this winter, according to government officials, with more than 80 reported outbreaks in England.

> Now, eggs sold in shops will have a sticker or label stating that they are “barn eggs”, which is the name given to eggs produced by hens permanently housed indoors.

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AaronE541 t1_jd0am7y wrote

Even the damn chicken are on welfare now! This county really is going to shit.

1

PopeFrancis t1_jd0eef0 wrote

Replying to bathshebat (#2,284,002)

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/farm-producing-54-million-eggs-per-year-609746

This article highlights an Irish egg laying barn system that was being intentionally built prior to this flu. The image captioned "A view of part of a section of the multi-level free-range laying house" shows off a modern barn.

https://www.poultrynews.co.uk/production/egg-production/analysis-who-will-pay-for-the-new-barn-eggs-standards.html

Same thing here, although you can at least see there's some free space they're not making use of.

That's the intentional barns, too. I wonder if the producers who weren't intending for full-time barn raised chickens had decent facilities for them.

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arittenberry t1_jd0f69o wrote

Replying to ThimeeX (#2,284,356)

Thanks. Do you happen to know why it's safer to keep them locked together indoors as opposed to free range in regards to this? I couldn't find anything online about the details of the why

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Alizaea t1_jd0hb00 wrote

"Laid by Hens" rather than laid by what, cows?

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untot3hdawnofdarknes t1_jd0hkwe wrote

Replying to 3meow_ (#2,283,032)

I agree with you! Most people don't give a fuck about chickens. If people really wanted to give a shit they should refrain from eating eggs at least until birds flu is over so that there doesn't need to be so many chickens.

3

StuccoStucco69420 t1_jd0ihpi wrote

Replying to ItDoesntMatter59 (#2,283,012)

Considering 90+% of birds come from factory farms (US based stat, I don’t have data for Ireland) and given what we know about large scale industrial farming, if I were one of those birds I’d say someone looking out for my welfare would actually let me die of bird flu rather than continuing my tortuous life.

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gweyowmi t1_jd0n04u wrote

Funny how people think free range means chickens are actually outside to begin with lol

−2

ddwood87 t1_jd0n52i wrote

Free Range Chickens = Homeless Chickens

Never put that together before...

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Total-Khaos t1_jd0p77v wrote

Replying to gw2master (#2,284,667)

>Funny how factory farms that started this epidemic...

Funny how you post this knowing absolutely nothing about where avian flu even comes from...

>Avian influenza refers to disease in birds caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses. Avian influenza A viruses have been isolated from more than 100 different species of wild birds around the world. These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Wild aquatic birds include waterbirds (waterfowl) such as ducks, geese, swans, gulls, and terns, and shorebirds, such as storks, plovers, and sandpipers. Wild aquatic birds, especially dabbling ducks, are considered reservoirs (hosts) for avian influenza A viruses. Wild aquatic birds can be infected with avian influenza A viruses in their intestines and respiratory tract, but some species, such as ducks, may not get sick. However, avian influenza A viruses are very contagious among birds, and some of these viruses can sicken and even kill certain domesticated bird species, including chickens, ducks and turkeys.

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Total-Khaos t1_jd0psii wrote

Replying to NoahTall1134 (#2,285,319)

Not exactly. Avian flu only comes from wild aquatic birds. If you have free range chickens, they wander about over land that has been a toilet for wild birds flying above it. The free range chickens then wander around in the infected shit and then it transfers to the whole farm. It has been a big nasty problem since January 2022.

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HoogerMan OP t1_jd0rlbw wrote

Replying to Total-Khaos (#2,285,602)

That’s really interesting. Is there an estimate on how long it might take to blow over? Also, I literally just finished the last of us like, the credits are rolling as I type this comment. Are we doomed?

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TheAgedProfessor t1_jd0saf8 wrote

Can't really call them "free range" any more if they're not... you know... free... on the range.

But you'll be glad of it when you read about avian flu.

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slopmarket t1_jd0svcj wrote

The chicken industry is madness. I am broke & can’t money generally but this is the one thing I support every month through World Animal Protection. My whole donation goes to saving the lives of chickens.

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HoogerMan OP t1_jd0sxso wrote

Replying to TheAgedProfessor (#2,285,749)

“free range” is a vague term to begin with. Most farms use this phrase to look pleasing to the customer who wants to buy ethically, but my free range is different to your free range, and is different to his free range etc. The HFAC defines free range as being “2 sq. ft per bird”. So each bird gets 2.1 square feet of ‘free range’. The industry is absolutely fucked.

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floatsby t1_jd0u30i wrote

We, as a society, can temporarily house chickens, but we cannot get it together for humans. Makes total sense /s

1

isaac32767 t1_jd10ajc wrote

There's no law saying you can't confine hens: most egg farms do. There is a law that if you label eggs "free range" the chickens actually have to range free. Hence the label change.

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StarsofSobek t1_jd17h1w wrote

Hey! I bought the same eggs and thought the same thing. H5N1 is pretty aggressive, I guess.

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Slim_Burrito t1_jd17ncz wrote

The issue is actually because many of the "free range" chickens are not free range at all. They're temporarily let outside into a small cage, or given access to a small outdoor portion (different lengths depending on the farm) and labeled as free range. Many of the free range farms still keep their chickens indoors for 90% of their lives, and are on average worse off then the regular brooder set-up.

0

sufiansuhaimibaba t1_jd1nfeh wrote

I don’t want to start ‘whataboutism’ and start talking about welfare of a HUMAN

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Rincewinded t1_jd20jaq wrote

Wow meat eaters are fucking stupid. We are humane, oh shit it's causing pandemics?

Make it less humane and don't stop for ANY reason. Let's completely fuck the biosphere for eggs. No way we could live without em!!!!!!

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Illest7705 t1_jd28zgs wrote

That sticker cost money, and raised the price of eggs.

1

Dorocche t1_jd3hlei wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#2,291,348)

What counts as ethically raised for you?

I used to think vegetarians were illogical cowards, because as you point out dairy causes at least as much harm as meat does. These days, though, I've realized that they're being completely logical: they're causing less harm than they would if they still ate meat, even though their harm isn't zero. A vegan's harm isn't zero either, it's just comparatively negligible. It doesn't have to be black and white.

0