SLIGHTLY HAPPIER HENS

[spectre]

http://spectrevision.net/2012/01/27/slightly-happier-hens/

for a PENNY an EGG : 'ENRICHED CAGES'
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/01/26/145900751/ex-foes-stage-coop-detat-for-egg-laying-chickens
Farmers, Humane Society Partner On Chicken-Cage Revolution
by Dan Charles / January 26, 2012

When I first saw the press release, I figured it had to be an April
Fools' joke. The Humane Society of the United States, a voice of
outrage against all heartless exploitation of animals, joining hands
with the United Egg Producers, which represents an industry that keeps
200 million chickens in cages? But it's true. This unprecedented
partnership is asking Congress to pass a law (just introduced this
week) that's supposed to improve the lives of egg-laying hens. If
passed, it would be the first federal law that takes into account the
emotional lives of farm animals. Specifically, it would force egg
producers to build new, roomier housing for hundreds of millions of
birds. Some background: Ninety percent of America's eggs are laid by
chickens that live in long rows of metal wire cages. Each cage holds
about eight hens, and they're packed in pretty tightly. At the
henhouse that I visited recently, owned by a family-run enterprise
called JS West and Cos. in Modesto, Calif., each hen has, on average,
67 square inches — less than the area of a standard sheet of paper.
John Bedell, who's in charge of egg production at this site, says the
chickens are not being mistreated. "Hear that sound?" he says. "When
they're just sort of clucking away, making that sound, that's the
sound of happy chickens."

To be sure, the air in this building is pretty clean (especially
considering that 150,000 chickens live in it), the temperature is
comfortable, and the hens don't have to worry about foxes eating them.
But ever since cages became standard in the egg industry some 50 years
ago, many people have been horrified by them. "These birds can't even
spread their wings," says Paul Shapiro, a senior director at the
Humane Society of the United States. "These are living, feeling,
sentient animals who are caught up in the food system, and at a bare
minimum, they deserve not to be tortured for their entire lives; not
to be immobilized to the point where they can't even extend their
limbs."Despite their outrage, though, advocates of animal welfare
weren't able to do much against the cages. For egg producers, the
cages made economic sense. They made egg production possible on an
unprecedented scale, delivering cheap eggs to consumers. But over the
past few years, the situation has changed dramatically. The shift
started in Europe. In 1999, the European Commission approved a
directive that orders egg producers to give their chickens almost
twice as much room. The directive finally took effect this year, on
New Year's Day. Major food retailers, especially in northern Europe,
have gone further, and now sell only eggs from cage-free operations,
where hens run around loose in barns.

Here in the U.S., California took the lead. In 2008, voters there
overwhelmingly approved a proposition that the Humane Society of the
U.S. drafted. "What Prop. 2 says is that laying hens must be able to
stand up, lie down, turn around and fully extend their limbs. That's
it," says Shapiro. The law takes effect in 2015. This may sound
simple, but egg producers say it has created paralysis, because they
have no idea what it requires. Does it mean that chickens have to be
cage-free? Does it just mean bigger cages? How big is big enough?
Regulators in California have provided no answers. On top of that,
similar voter initiatives passed in other states. Gene Gregory,
president of United Egg Producers, which represents companies that
produce about 95 percent of the country's eggs, says it looked like
the industry would have to satisfy dozens of different — as well as
confusing — state requirements. "It was going to be a nightmare,
trying to produce eggs and have a free flow of eggs across state
lines. So we reached out to the Humane Society and said, 'Let's have a
conversation about this,' " says Gregory. To the astonishment of
many, the Humane Society was willing to talk. Shapiro says it was a
chance to have an impact on the welfare of chickens all across the
country, including in states where animal-rights activists weren't
likely to get any new regulations passed. In early July, the two sides
announced that they had reached an agreement to jointly lobby Congress
for new federal rules that would phase out all traditional chicken
cages within 15 years. The law was formally introduced this week.

As a minimum, the chickens would have to be held in so-called enriched
cages — a style developed in Europe. These cages are a compromise
between efficient, large-scale production and letting chickens do some
things that they seem to really like. At the JS West farm, south of
Modesto, one chicken house already has these cages. I notice right
away that chickens in this building have almost twice as much space as
the ones I saw next door. Jill Benson, one of the company's owners,
points out other features. There are metal bars for the birds to perch
on, and enclosed spaces, called nest boxes. Those spaces seem really
popular among the hens. The new cages at JS West feature enclosed
spaces, shown in red, called nest boxes. The spaces seem really
popular among the hens. "The birds, in fact, line up to go into the
nest box," says Benson. "They like to go out of the bright light and
go into a nest box to lay their eggs." As we watch, we catch a glimpse
of one chicken doing exactly that. A wet, warm egg rolls slowly out of
the nest box. Perches and nest boxes are specifically required in the
new proposed law.

Benson says she wants this law to pass. Building new chicken houses
would cost her company millions of dollars. But she says she can live
with that. It probably works out to about an extra penny per egg. But
most important: She'd know exactly what to build, and the rules would
be the same across the country. So if United Egg Producers,
representing 95 percent of all U.S. egg production, wants this law and
some of the industry's fiercest enemies do too, who could be against
it? Well, as it happens, some influential farm organizations. Beef
producers, hog farmers, dairy farmers and the American Farm Bureau
have all lined up against it. Bill Donald, a rancher in Melville,
Mont., and president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association,
says it would be a terrible precedent to get the government involved
in keeping farm animals happy. Who knows what regulations might come
next? "It isn't a very large leap from egg production to chicken
production to beef production," he says. It's a situation that would
have been unthinkable just a year ago: Egg farmers arm in arm with the
Humane Society of the United States, in a political battle with
ranchers and dairymen.

CAGE FREE
http://stoptherotteneggbill.org/site/c.8qKNJWMwFbLUG/b.7867921/k.C798/About_Us.htm
Egg Industry Bill Would Keep Hens in Cages Forever

“Opposing ballot measures is very expensive. The only way we can avoid
them is through federal preemption. That is the reason why we need
federal legislation.” — Gene Gregory, President, United Egg Producers

The egg industry’s trade association – the United Egg Producers (UEP)
– has hatched an insidious plan: It is now pushing for federal
legislation that, if enacted, would forever keep hens locked in cages,
despite the wishes of the vast majority of the American public. Under
the guise of “enriching” cages, the egg industry’s legislation would:
Nullify existing state laws that ban or restrict battery cages.
Deprive voters of the right and ability to pass ballot measures
banning cages. Deny state legislatures the ability to enact laws to
outlaw battery cages or otherwise regulate egg factory conditions.

To accomplish this, UEP's federal legislation would amend what is
known as the “Egg Products Inspection Act.” Specifically, the
amendment (H.R. 3798) seeks to federally establish that egg factory
cages would be legally accepted as a national standard that could
never be challenged or changed by state law or public vote. UEP claims
that its legislation would eventually result in “progress” for laying
hens. Just the opposite is true. In reality, the egg industry merely
agreed to slowly (at the glacial pace of 18 years) continue the meager
changes in battery cage conditions that are already occurring due to
state laws and public pressure. Please help make clear to our elected
leaders that the egg industry’s unprecedented attack on anti-cruelty
laws, states’ rights, and animal protection must not stand. Click here
to read a veterinary perspective on the Rotten Egg Bill.

Responding to the Rotten Egg Bill's (H.R. 3798) Specific Points
For political cover, UEP inserted a few diversionary provisions. None
of them holds up to scrutiny.

Ammonia Levels: The Rotten Egg Bill contains nothing that alters
current standards for “ammonia levels.” The bill merely duplicates
UEP’s existing standards (which allow unhealthful levels of ammonia)
and seeks to put that into federal law.

Forced Molting and Euthanasia: As for ending the practice of forced
molting of hens by “starvation” and water deprivation – egg companies
do not advocate that to begin with. Far from changing any currently
accepted molting practice, the bill merely adopts UEP’s own existing
standards. The same goes for “euthanasia” standards and other empty
provisions tossed in to distract from the central issue: keeping hens
in cages.

UEP’s Game of Inches: Prior to the Rotten Egg Bill, the egg industry
passed state legislation calling for 116 square inches of cage space
per hen. With a mere 8 square inch adjustment, UEP’s federal bill
calls for a still cruel and depriving 124 square inches per hen –
“phased-in” over 18 years. This token modification does not “double”
the cage space from what UEP has already advocated as a standard. The
bill’s own proponents have stated that a hen needs at least 216 square
inches just to spread her wings.

Decriminalizing Animal Abuse: The bill contains no criminal penalties
whatsoever. While overriding state laws which do contain appropriate
criminal penalties, the Rotten Egg Bill would shift all authority to
the industry-controlled USDA.

Fraudulent Labeling: As far as labeling egg cartons, UEP’s Rotten Egg
Bill certainly would do that. For the very first time, the fraudulent
term “enriched” cages would begin appearing on egg cartons nationwide
– in order to deflect public concern – and to increase egg sales from
caged hens.

The position of the Humane Farming Association and other responsible
activists and organizations remains clear: Cruelty is cruelty. There
is no such thing as an “enriched” battery cage. No humane organization
should ever endorse these abusive confinement systems. Our state laws
and voting rights must not be given away.

“If the legislation does not advance, [industry] would be headed
toward cage-free production as the dominant, if not the only, form of
egg production.” — Feedstuffs, agribusiness news journal, explaining
why the egg industry is seeking to advance its federal legislation

'ENHANCED COLONY HOUSING'
http://inthesetimes.com/ittlist/entry/12625/new_legislation_would_improve_living_conditions_of_egg-laying_hens/
New Legislation Would Improve Living Conditions of Egg-Laying Hens
by Patrick Glennon / Jan 26, 2012

Earlier this week, a group of lawmakers introduced a bill in the House
that would seek to ameliorate the living conditions of egg-laying
hens. H.R. 3798, the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012,
is the result of a joint effort of the Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS) and the United Egg Producers (UEP). Wayne Pacelle,
president and CEO of HSUS, said in a press release that the resolution
is “historic and unprecedented,” reflecting a degree of cooperation
between animal rights activists and industry representatives hitherto
unseen.

Chad Gregory, Senior Vice President of UEP, noted that the changes
will require $4 billion in sacrifices, but that the move is necessary
and that the industry is a willing partner: “This has been an
incredibly grueling process, but we’re here today excited to recognize
and celebrate this monumental achievement.” For years, HSUS has
lobbied for state-level regulation of industrial egg production. A
complex web of varying state regulations—reflecting radically
different conceptions of animal treatment and welfare—was very costly
for the UEP, which represents 88 percent of U.S. egg production.
Looking to standardize regulation and to appease its critics, UEP
began working with HSUS in July 2011.

The primary purpose of the legislation is to phase out the use of
battery cages—tiny confines that currently house over 280 million hens
in the U.S. These cages can be as small as a piece of printer paper,
leaving no room for a hen to extend her wings, stand up or stretch.
Stacked in tiers, battery cages prohibit hens from engaging in their
natural behavior. As a result, hens can become crazed, pecking
violently at neighboring birds and themselves. Curing the symptom
rather than addressing the cause, many egg producers cut off hens’
beaks to prevent them from mauling others, instead of allowing them
greater space to roam.

The legislation would affect a number of changes on the industry,
should it pass Congress:
• It would replace battery cages with “enhanced colony housing.” These
new environs would give birds double the space of average battery
cages.
• After a phase-in period of larger housing facilities, the
legislation would mandate environmental enhancements—such as perches
and scratch pads—that would provide outlets for hens’ instinctive
behavior.
• The resolution would also require clearly detailed labeling on all
eggs nationwide that describe the living conditions of the animals.
These labels would include: “eggs from caged hens,” “eggs from hens in
enhanced cages,” “eggs from cage-free hens” and “eggs from free range
hens.”

In addition, the resolution would rectify several other cruel industry
practices, including forced molting—the technique of depriving hens
water and feed in order to stimulate quicker egg-laying cycles. The
legislation would provide great relief to many birds currently held in
inhumane conditions across the United States. Many other deplorable
practices, however, would remain intact. Egg-laying hens are
genetically manipulated to produce eggs at a higher rate. While this
accelerates egg production, it also causes hens’ bodies to degenerate
faster. Hens usually remain in egg production for only a year, after
which they are killed at a young age for use in animal feed or low-
quality chicken meat products. Even if their life were to become
slightly more comfortable with double the (very small) space they
currently have, they would still likely continue to die very
prematurely.

Additionally, the industry treats male chicks born to egg-laying hens
with shocking disregard. Chickens have been genetically altered in
order to enhance their economic output—this means that
“broilers” (chickens reared for meat production) have been genetically
altered to produce a greater amount of breast meat and that layers
have been genetically altered to optimize egg production. As a
consequence of the U.S. market’s preference for broiler-meat, the male
chicks of layers have no economic benefit for agribusiness. Male
chicks are thus “destroyed” shortly after birth. This is done through
numerous ways. They are sometimes sucked through air tubes and thrown
against an electric pad, electrocuting them. Others are sent on a
conveyor belt through what is known as a macerator (think: wood
chipper). Reforming the industrial food production system is an
important way of improving animals’ lives, but basic reforms shouldn’t
obscure other cruelties that are inherent to the system.

A still image from a Humane Society of the United States undercover
video shows caged chickens on an egg farm. A Florida effort that would
outlaw the gathering of undercover photos and video was dropped, but
five other states are still attempting to pass similar laws in 2012.
(Humane Society of the United States)

MEANWHILE : VIDEOTAPING in FACTORY FARMS still LEGAL [without the
consent of the hens?]
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/environment/la-me-gs-florida-drops-animal-farm-antivideotaping-effort-20120126,0,5292310.story
Florida Legislature drops anti-videotaping language
by Dean Kuipers / January 26, 2012,

The Florida Legislature has dropped a controversial provision that
would have made it a crime to photograph or videotape on agricultural
facilities without consent. We have reported previously on this blog
that several states have attempted to thwart whistle-blowers and
animal rights activists by making it a crime to record images on a
farm, lab or other animal enterprise. Of course, many other actions
such as trespassing, removing animals and other acts are already
illegal.

Florida was taking a lead in this push, but in the last few days its
legislature has removed the image collection language – derisively
called an “ag gag” provision by activists – from state House Bill 1021
and state Senate Bill 1184. “These bills threaten animal welfare,”
says Suzanne McMillan, director of Farm Animal Welfare for the
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who has
monitored these bills. “However, they also threaten constitutional
rights, they have a chilling effect on speech. Which is a serious
concern. Any time you limit speech, legally, a higher threshold needs
to be met and it’s certainly not being met in this case.” The animal
welfare organization points out that an undercover video made at a
Florida dairy farm was used to pass humane slaughter and euthanasia
laws. That video showed calves with gunshot wounds left in a watery
pit to drown.

Video and photos gathered by undercover activists and even news
reporters has been a mainstay of investigative journalism for decades.
There has been some question as to whether the actual gathering of
images also violates the broad federal 2006 Animal Enterprise
Terrorism Act, which makes it illegal to negatively affect the profits
of an animal enterprise. The Center for Constitutional Rights is
currently challenging that financial harm provision in court. Four
other states are now considering such video and photo bans, including
Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. “These bills are a direct
threat to us controlling our food supply and to the American public
understanding where it’s food comes from,” McMillan adds . “If large
animal agribusiness has nothing to hide, why is it supporting these
kinds of bills? Time and again, undercover investigations have
revealed these exact problems: food safety concerns, animal welfare
violations, environmental violations.”