Show range Free-range chickens are hotly debated between animal activists and egg farmers Joseph W. W Bateman Community Staff Writer Across the country the conditions conditions conditions condi condi- laying egg-laying hens are confined confined con con- fined to have sparked sy Individuals have broken into factory farms and documented the conditions inside On the business side chain stores caterers and food manufacturers have pledged to use only cage free eggs and some abandoning eggs entirely Caged laying egg-laying hens are among the most abused animals in the world of factory farming today said Paul factory facto facto- farming fanning campaign manager ry Society of for The Humane United States is the nations nation's largest animal protection group with over members Together with other animal protection protection protection pro pro- groups they are targeting targeting targeting target target- ing the wire-battery wire cages that laying egg-laying hens are confined in Nationwide over million laying egg-laying hens are confined to less space than a sheet of letter- letter sized paper to live out her life according to This amounts to nearly 95 percent of the eggs produced in this system system system tem which is also referred to as the battery cage In a vote seven years ago the European Union agreed to ban the battery cage system of producing eggs The animal protectionists' protectionists concern is that this type of living living living liv liv- ing behavior leads to high levels of stress and frustration created by not allowing space for the birds to spread her wings The animal groups also cite the battery battery battery bat bat- tery cage method as forbidding natural behaviors such as nesting nesting nesting nest nest- ing foraging and dust bathing Last week in New York Adam Durand a Compassionate Consumer investigator was sentenced sentenced sentenced sen sen- to the maximum six months incarceration and immediately immediately immediately imme imme- transported to Wayne county jail for misdemeanor trespassing at Egg Farm The farm is the largest in New York where over hens lay more than million half-million eggs per day for the Rochester based supermarket chain The case and conditions became public when Durand and two female friends developed developed developed devel devel- a 23 minute documentary taken from scenes captured during during during dur dur- ing three nighttime visits to the egg farm The film exposes the conditions in which laying egg-laying hens were confined The video available on elty com shows hens living on top of the corpses of other hens trapped in wire mesh of their cage and others drowning in liquid liquid liquid manure Along with the documentation documentation doc doe the trio took 11 hens that they said were in need of veterinary care in a response on their cites that the activists are asking for a farm without cages The response cites price as the factor in keeping keeping keeping keep keep- ing the battery cage system We dont don't believe we should force all of our customers to pay more than double the price for a dozen eggs just because a few people think we should reads online Statement We are proud of our eggs Chickens continued on page 2 Which came first the cage or the activist continued from front page J 1 j ud rt n Locally the egg controversy controversy controversy contro- contro versy hit when Utah-based Utah pledged to eliminate the use of eggs in all products with the exception of a privately veggie patty Instead the veggie patty will be manufactured with free cage-free and organic eggs produces produces pro pro- produces duces a variety of meatless food products such as burgers cutlets and sausages As a leader in natural foods is delighted to be a leader in the trend away from battery cage eggs said Scott C C. C Wallace president and CEO of Garde We W are committed to respectful treatment of animals and this move is a reflection of that con con- cern joins an growing ever-growing list of companies companies companies com com- and institutions making the move to abandon abandon abandon aban aban- don cage battery-cage produced eggs Numerous grocery store chains such as Whole Foods Market Earth Fare and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace have created policy banning their sale of battery cage eggs Bon a food service provider for clients such as Best Buy Cisco Systems and nd Adidas is placing c free cage eggs in 1 all Il of l r the cafes afes the company operates Internet companies companies companies compa compa- nies AOL and Google have added their voices in eliminating eliminating elim elim- eliminating eggs from caged hens within their employee dining facilities Colleges and universities ties have united over similar similar similar simi simi- lar concerns of battery caged hens Nearly 90 schools including Dartmouth College The University of of- New Hampshire and The University of Wisconsin- Wisconsin Madison abandoned or significantly reduced the use of caged eggs in dining halls |