Choosing the good eggs - Commended restaurants

Hence I recommend you never get on SheepGroper’s bad side, Jake555!

; )

jake555 said :

Before I respond to your comment – can you please explain why your username is ‘SheepGroper’? I’m just curious.

My workmates called me that after they found out I castrated my ram lamb myself, I don’t shtup my pets if that’s what you’re thinking.

I castrated him because I was afraid if I took him to the farm to be done they’d slice off his tail as well.

Tilleys claim to use free-range eggs … have done so for more than a decade, on their menu. I would be horrified if that hasn’t been true all along. I’m sure the list isn’t exhaustive, and perhaps businesses have to pay the RSPCA to be acknowledged. Like the Heart Foundation tick.

I have never had the displeasure of having to slit a sheep’s throat or line them up for a ‘firing squad’, but I dare say that a quick death like these described may be preferable for the sheep, given some alternatives.

Before I respond to your comment – can you please explain why your username is ‘SheepGroper’? I’m just curious.

jake555 said :

As far as I am aware, the standards in slaughterhouses in Australia are very good.

Australian Consumer Choice had an article when the government slaughterhouse inspectors were to be replaced by people who were employees of the slaughterhouse, raising concerns about what would happen when the independent observer became someone under pressure to decide in favour of the business.

The quotes from meat inspectors were very interersting, one was abused for pointing out carasses ready for the cool room shouldn’t have freshly killed bodies slammed against them leading to contamination from vomit and fecal matter.

Another inspector observed the workers didn’t like the owner visiting because she didn’t like to see or hear the animals suffer so they had to slow down and be more careful when she was on the floor.

And when incorrectly stunned pigs revived in the vat of boiling water and shrieked as they swam looking for a way out before they succumbed to the heat, it was called “learning to swim” by the workers.

Nowadays, the slaughterhouses police themselves. The information is out there for those who care to look.

Just chucking my opinion in!

I learnt years ago that there’s no point ‘arguing’ about people’s choices – but I also learnt there’s nothing wrong with having an alternative view point. Everyon’e entitled to their opinion, even me.

Jake555 I like that one!
What about; If we weren’t meant to eat animals then why are they made of meat, or Red meat isn’t bad for you, fuzzy green meat is.

Enny – I respect your decision to become a vegan.

I am not a vegan, or a vegetarian, and I am sure that I will never be either. Will you respect my choice?

The fact remains that a huge amount of animals are bred to be slaughtered for consumption, so why not redirect your efforts to bettering the life of animals that are destined to be dinner, rather than just boiling it down to ‘go vegan’?

On a side note, one of the funniest quotes I have ever saw was “I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals, I’m a vegetarian because I hate plants”

Enny, your choice to be vegan is yours. Why should everyone else choose to make the same choice as you just because of what you believe?
Humans are omnivores, our bodies have evolved to eat meat.
Believe what you like and I’ll believe what I like and I believe I’ll eat another animal again tomorrow, and the next day and the next.

peterh – many others have now expanded on what my response would have been – reiterating that the best possible life was lead by the animal, and it experienced a death that is free from unneccessary suffering and distress.

As far as I am aware, the standards in slaughterhouses in Australia are very good.

As I mentioned previously, I shop at Griffith butchery. If you are interested in the way they operate, I would recommend paying them a visit in person or just to their website.

There is nothing humane about slaughtering animals.

Do them all a favour and go vegan.

Danman said :

LOL you’re telling me, a complete stranger that I need to take a hard look at myself.

Not just you. All people who make questionable choices to make negligible savings.

Danman said :

You think I don’t care about the feeling of other living things.. I would quite easily take on a speeding car if it saved either of my dogs.

No, I think its clear that you do care about living things. Which makes the act of regularly choosing a miniscule amount of money over animal welfare all the more baffling.

Danman said :

Do not try and judge/psycho analyze me entirely based on my choice of eggs, lest I do the same and assume you’re an idiot.

Woah there! While I wouldnt lose any sleep whatsoever if you assumed me to be an idiot, I didnt try to judge or psycho analyse anyone entirely based on their choice of eggs. I am casting judgement on that -particular- choice alone.

Danman said :

Who rang about a dozen places including RSPCA, the rangers and veterinarian clinics last weekend because they had a common as dirt juvenile galah with a broken wing in their back yard ?

I think its AWESOME that you did that – I really do – but buying free range eggs is such an easy thing to do to know that you arent contributing to pain and suffering. Does it take being physically confronted with that suffering to motivate someone to act?

Danman said :

Guess you’re wrong about me eh ?, perhaps i’m a tightarse, ill admit that, but i’m not the person you portray me as.

Its across the board that all free range and organic produce costs bucket loads more.

If I wanna save money shopping then isn’t it my right to do that without being judged?

Huh? I didnt portray anyone as anything! I was being judgemental about the issue. Anyone who expresses a firm stance is making a judgement. I am comfortable with that. If you are comfortable with your choices at the supermarket etc then I dont see why you would care what I or anyone else thinks (except for Mrs Danman who clearly cares about this issue too).

The thought of halal slaughter makes me sick.

S**t yeah – have you seen Braveheart and what they did to his chick?

Mr_Shab said :

Isn’t this supposed to be about eggs?

it is. but what do they do with the chickens after the eggs run out?

surprised more people haven’t seen the kinder surprise free range eggs. last batch i had about 4…

If you keep an eye out, free range and barn eggs can be had for well under $5 (my price point). A lot of the fruit and veggie places have various local eggs, and other unlikley places like the oaks estate grog shop (the half-tank place). In warm weather, there’s a lot of laying going on. during winter you have to use the supermarkets who can get theirs from further afield.

If you grab eggs when you see them for a bargain price, you won’t be faced with getting the $8 ones.

I’m repeating here, but Halal and conventional slaughter (at least, in Australia) are pretty similar. Conventional slaughter uses either captured bolt or electrostunning to render the animal unconcious before it is bled out (which is how the actual killing is done. I understand that captured bolt isn’t acceptable to Halal slaughter because it (rather than the bleeding) can “kill” the animal.

Halal slaughter (well – any slaughter) in some places O/S is a whole lot less humane on the whole. They tend to disregard the whole rendering unconcious bit.

Let’s face it. The act of killing anything isn’t all that pleasant, whether it’s abbatoir work, or knocking over rabbits with a .22

Isn’t this supposed to be about eggs?

Thumper, they also say a prayer…

All the eggs I buy are delivered free of packaging and are poached, hot and usually runny.

Yum!

imarty said :

The major cause of death for all animals destined for consumption (except chickens I think) is blood loss, the rendering unconscious is so the animal doesn’t know about it. The difference between halal and conventional is the stunning must be reversible so the stunning procedure is less ‘severe’ if you will. With conventional stunning the animal would likely die in time from the stunning, it is not the cause of death.

it is sad that chickens are usually dispatched by a wrung neck. however, not as traumatic as the old log and axe routine.

The major cause of death for all animals destined for consumption (except chickens I think) is blood loss, the rendering unconscious is so the animal doesn’t know about it. The difference between halal and conventional is the stunning must be reversible so the stunning procedure is less ‘severe’ if you will. With conventional stunning the animal would likely die in time from the stunning, it is not the cause of death.

imarty said :

peterh, let me assure you that meat killed in abattoirs in Australia is done in the most humane fashion possible. The animals are ‘stunned’ (rendered unconscious by a specially designed captive bolt gun to the head or using CO2) they do not know a thing. This is extremely important not only from a ethical stand point but also a meat quality perspective.
There are no slaughter your own butchers in Australia, that is, a butcher where you can go and legally buy meat.
Halal slaughter is less humane than conventional.

after working on a property, seeing an abbattoir in action, I found that the captive bolt and co2 methods are all well and good, but there are animals that have to be bled out to kill them, for whatever reason, the initial system is not instantaneous death. There were a couple of places that have since closed, due to the methods employed and a random inspection by the RSPCA.

I have seen a halal operation that ensured that the beast’s neck was broken quickly, then the beast bled out. it is very messy, either via conventional or halal, and is enough to turn you off the consumption of meat. I don’t think about where my table meat comes from.

If I was on a property now, I would have to kill my own. vegetarian isn’t an option (for me).

Thank you imarty for saving me a rant.

As for Halal, yes it is less humane, but that said – it is believed that the bleeding of animals, while slower than a quick bolt to the head is still a fairly quick and painless exercise.

Yeah, I thought Halal butchery meant the animal had to bleed to death?

peterh, let me assure you that meat killed in abattoirs in Australia is done in the most humane fashion possible. The animals are ‘stunned’ (rendered unconscious by a specially designed captive bolt gun to the head or using CO2) they do not know a thing. This is extremely important not only from a ethical stand point but also a meat quality perspective.
There are no slaughter your own butchers in Australia, that is, a butcher where you can go and legally buy meat.
Halal slaughter is less humane than conventional.

i’d have to agree with neanderthalsis. The eggs i get from my 3 chickens taste 1000 times better than the occasional ones i get from the supermarket

jake555 said :

Danman – I am concerned about battery hens because of how they live while they are ‘feeding’ us, and the fact that they are pretty much just tossed away for (who knows what) at 12 months of age.

I choose to eat meat, and I also choose to eat meat that comes from places where the animals are well cared for while they are alive, and then killed humanely with as little distress and suffering as possible.

Yes, the animal is still dead, but I am exercising my choice as a consumer to pay a few more bucks to try and ease my conscience.

I don’t know if the issue is so much the ultimate death of the animals that are bred to feed us, but how they are kept in the meantime.

how do you identify that the animals are killed “humanely”?
are you dealing with a “slaughter their own” butcher, or a halal butcher? if you aren’t, and are getting the meat from an abattoir, don’t kid yourself. The slaughterhouse idea of “humane” isn’t.

I eat meat. I don’t think where it comes from.

OT, free range eggs are great, apart from the occasional “kinder surprise” egg, but I usually hold them up to a strong light so that the kids don’t get the surprise… cage eggs, whilst being cheaper taste different to free range. don’t know why.

I think once the goose works out that the ducks are part of the territory they tend to defend them rather than attack them. They’re only aggro to things “invading” their territory.

Goose eggs, like duck eggs are much higher in fat – great for cakes but very rich if you plan to eat them like a chook egg.

I hate battery farming

i hate battery farming too, ant. planted a whole pack of eveready and not a single one grew…

as has been pointed out ad nauseum above, the price difference between free-range and cage eggs is essentially negligible unles you’re training for m/ universe or something and getting through several dozen a week – and the quality is comensurately much higher, so i would argue they actually represent value for money.

coupled with the ethical considerations, one wonders at humanity when it still even puts up with cages for its chookens. but then, life is filled with wondering at humanity…

The mob on the other side from me have a bunch of geese and they do periodically start up. Their numbers have been shrinking though, and they do have a little run to go into at night, so I’m wondering if they’re up to the fox’s fighting weight. And goose eggs aren’t very nice (niether are ducks eggs, we used to have them).

The geese certainly saw off my chihuahua who thought all birds were peacocks adn so would run. The geese ran…. at him!

Yeah, I kind of need to trial one.

Are they aggressive towards ducks?

An elderly lady near where I was in QLD had a goose with her ducks and chooks (we were on the banks of a river and got a lot of snakes) so i assume they get along fairly well.

Geese are pretty cool, but can be noisy. They can also be extremely aggro towards anyone they’re unfamiliar with – for that reason they make great guard animals – but make sure you’re around when anyone new comes to visit. They can also kind of rule out anyone coming round to feed your animals while you’re away.

Cheap free-range egg discovery! The Indian supermarket in Phillip, Lotus (I think), sells backyard eggs for $2 or $3 a dozen.

Before this discovery I was doing the Danman thing – buying cage eggs for half the price of free range.

Part of the reason cage eggs are so cheap, is the heavy subsidies to the caged egg industry, there are few subsidies available to the free range egg industry. If the subsidies were removed, pricing would be more equal.

As for the claim the hens look so bad just because they’re moulting, I picked up an ex battery hen that fell off the slaughterhouse truck many years ago in Melbourne, she had feathers mostly only on her wings and head, the top beak was a little nub, the bottom beak was sliced a little longer.

I brought her home on two trams and a bus so she could die in peace in the garage, instead she lived for about 8 years more and never looked as bad during moulting as when I found her. She was smart enough to figure out scooping feed with her deformed beak was easier if she flew onto my shoulder and walked down my arm to my cupped hand. She also liked to perch on my back when I kneeled for garden work, she could spot interesting tasties that were unearthed by the trowel.

ant said :

I’m thinking about maybe getting a few chooks. I noticed the other day the neighbour has some, they were out patrolling the paddock. I guess they have no rooster which is why they’re quiet. I’m thinking of getting a guinea fowl to see off the snakes (too many encoutners this summer) but I wonder if the chooks would tolerate the guinea foul? Cos they are rather foul.

Try a goose or two. They will see off the snakes, the foxes and any other random predator you may get.

I often get the barn eggs… I guess the foxes can’t get them in a barn.

Michael Linke, CEO RSPCA ACT again.

There is a third choice! RSPCA accredited barn laid eggs. They are at the in between price and they are our preferred eggs as they are the only egg that assures high welfare standards.

I’m thinking about maybe getting a few chooks. I noticed the other day the neighbour has some, they were out patrolling the paddock. I guess they have no rooster which is why they’re quiet. I’m thinking of getting a guinea fowl to see off the snakes (too many encoutners this summer) but I wonder if the chooks would tolerate the guinea foul? Cos they are rather foul.

The problem with Battery farming is that the tripple As keep escaping between the wires 🙂

But seriously, I prefer to buy free-range. I grew up with 2 dozen chooks happily ensconced in our backyard eating our scraps and digging for bugs. The eggs tasted great, bright yolks and loads of flavour. To me, cage eggs are tasteless pale little things; free range captures some of the taste that a true fresh egg has.

If that were to happen you’d see backyard production skyrocket, a more distributed market in eggs, and soon afterwards with the quick breeding cycles involved, eggs back to around what the market currently pays.

It’s not like the egg producers are doing it at cost now.

I was watching “dirty jobs” the other day. The guy was cleaning out the chicken manure from a battery farm in the US. In a few huge warehouses they housed 4 million chickens. Can you imagine the real estate that would be required for 4 million free range chickens?

Free range eggs are only as cheap as they are because they are a niche market alongside the battery industry. If there were no battery hens, eggs would be incredibly expensive.

For those saying the free range eggs are too expensive….just how many eggs are you consuming??? For it to make a real difference to your budget, you must be eating dozens of them every week! Yes, they are a couple of dollars more per dozen..I for one am prepared to pay the extra. They taste better in any case….so well worth it.

& nice to see the RSPCA commenting here…

“Bulk buying by industry can ultimately affect the price at the supermarket.”

…just figured that was worth saying again.

If cage/battery hen eggs are wrong, for reasons of ethical treatment, inhumane conditions, hormone pumping etc, how many free range egg eating people are also vegetarian ?

I know this has already been covered by now, but I’ll have my say as always. There is a big difference between battery cage chicken farming, and the humane slaughter of animals for consumption. I believe it is natural for humans to consume both vegetable and meat. the difference is the cruelty that chickens suffer day in and out to produce eggs, and the grazing of cattle, then quick death to provide food to consume.

Bringing up organisations like PETA etc is just the other end of the extreme.

I choose to pay the extra and buy meat that is at very least “free range”, and organic if I ever can afford it. One thing I miss about the UK is the affordability of organic produce and meat. Here it is incredibly more expensive than the standard s**t that we all accept as fruit, veg and meat!

Hi everyone. Michael Linke here, CEO of RSPCA ACT.

One point that has not come up is the influence everyone can have when dining in Canberra. The issue isn’t only at the supermarket. So if you are keen to encourage your favourite local restaurant to stop using caged eggs, simply give them some information on it. RSPCA can post wallet cards, flyers and brochures on this campaign to you and you can give this information to your favourite restaurant. email rspca@rspca-act.org.au and ask for choose wisely campaign materials.

Bulk buying by industry can ultimately affect the price at the supermarket.

Imarty – chooks do indeed roost right next to each other; but they don’t roost 24 hours a day. Nor do they receive 20 hours of sunlight a day (layers are kept under lights to increase their egg production). Nor do they need to constantly consume antibiotics to stay alive.

No doubt whatsoever that activists pick the nastiest photos (they tend to go in at moulting time, so the chooks look particularly sad, featherless and bedraggled).

However, cage eggs aren’t something I can countenance. Maybe it’s anthromorphising an animal, maybe not – but it just don’t feel right to me. For the same reason I don’t buy pork unless I know where it’s from.

I reckon anyone with a backyard should have a chook pen. They’re quiet and stupidly easy to take care of (just food, water and kitchen scraps each day). You can grab a deckchair and a tinny and watch the little guys scratch and peck around for hours. The eggs are also immeasurably better in quality. You can build a pen from $50 worth of junk from revolve and get a trio of point-of-lay hens for about another $50. They’ll pay back the investment within 12 months max (6, if you buy freerange).

well that’s right…and a half dozen or so hens roaming in pens in the larger canberra suburban backyards would supply plenty of eggs to the owners……many people are just too lazy to look after em properly these days tho…..

There’s enough land in this whopping great big country that there shouldn’t be any cage hens at all!! Take a drive from Bungendore to the Clyde Mountain. What do you see? Empty land with a few herds of cows dotted about the place.

OK, I’ll wade in,

Given that the pictures don’t look nice (activists will always choose the worst shots and then photoshop to make them look worse) is a way of making you think this is abhorrent.
The reality is that all relevant industry bodies (including RSPCA, Animals Australia etc) are consulted on setting regulations for these standards.
The problem remains that some of these organisations are intent on the entire population becoming vegetarian.
Anthropomorphic comparisons (the attribution of a human form, human characteristics, or human behaviour to nonhuman things) or even comparing dogs to chickens is just a method of muddying the waters. Chickens roost in close proximity and in doing so exhibit natural behaviour.
Yes I’ve seen the Jamie Oliver show and all the other animal activist’s organisation info but temper this with 26 years (just about to the day) extensive experience in the meat industry.

sepi said :

I’d search for a pic for you, but I don’t want to look at them. I really don’t mind paying an extra dollar or two for the cruelty free eggs.

My sentiments also. They cram the chickens into cages, they don’t even have floors. They are all squashed togehter… I just can’t stomach that. I just won’t buy cage eggs. If the shop has no free range or barn laid, I just don’t get eggs.

And here’s the thing, if they legislated against cruelty eggs, the price of non-cruelty eggs would plummet.

The extra cost is in the bigger space needed for free range, and the better food they eat etc.

I just think that if most people were faced with the chooks at the markets while buying eggs, you would never buy the eggs from the mangy looking battery hens.

And if the owner said ‘gimme a dollar or I’ll cut it’s beak in half’ I’d give it to them. Which is almost what I feel like I’m doing when I spend a bit more on free range eggs, instead of supporting the cruel battery egg production.

This one is for you!

: )

What – I don’t get a smile???

Oops – that smile was for Danman! Sorry!

: )

Have a listen to the radio spots on this page – I believe they made national news because the pork industry was offended

http://www.animalsaustralia.org/lucy_speaks/

and the extra care for the chickens. I wonder if the same thing will sort of campaign will happen for pigs in the near future? I’ve heard that they can be kept in pretty bad conditions as well.

Who would refuse any animal this?

http://www.rspca-act.org.au/pages/page191.asp

Danman said :

I agree that animals should be afforded certain rights – but surely free range eggs should equal the cost of cage eggs – Whats to justify the extra cost ?

I think the extra cost comes from the fact that it takes more resources to collect the eggs. They have to be picked up rather than being conveniently picked up out of a trough or whatever it is they roll in to.

You usually find one free range brand on special at woolies for about $5 a dozen. Worth the money for the extra flavour I think.

I am not judging you either Danman – what eggs you choose to buy is your own business.

You said that the ethical choice should be cheaper, and I agree they should be.

From a philosophical point of view, the RSPCA clip hits the nail on the head by saying ‘All animals are not equal’. I mean, they are just chickens right? So who cares….

Like Granny noted, if it were dogs that were caged in the same way, there would be public outrage.

I guess I don’t support cage eggs, but more support the balance of cost between the two.

Until then Mrs Danman will get free range eggs, and I suspect that on reading this, she will ban me from buying the eggs in this household again.

I support free choice in all aspects of life, so long as its not to the detriment of my fellow human.

Anyone is free to have an opinion, as I am, but we need not agree.

Granny – I keep my dogs inside with the aircon on whilst I am at work – that show much of a softie I am for animals. I rescued a juvenile galah in my back yard on the weekend, and have asked to be kept informed because I want it released at my house (Mymand Dad have been around every morning looking for their little ‘un)

I agree that animals should be afforded certain rights – but surely free range eggs should equal the cost of cage eggs – Whats to justify the extra cost ?

I support yours and anyone’s decisions, not because I agree, but because its your decision based on your rationale. But in supporting, it does not automatically = agreeing.

You like me because its too hard to hate me 🙂

Ill close my argument with reference to post #19 or similar cost

I am not judging you, Danman. I would like your support, but I’m not judging you. I like you!

Danman, I eat meat and I eat eggs, as do you. That is not going to change at any time in the near future.

It is certainly not hypocritical for me to support egg production methods that allow chooks to forage and scratch happily, instead of being stuck in tiny cages indoors never able to use their legs and never having a night time to rest in. If they leave the lights on it forces the chooks to keep on laying because they still think it’s day. It’s just so greedy and so selfish to keep an animal in these conditions.

If I kept my dog cramped up in a cage too small to move about in and never let it out to walk or exercise its whole life, wouldn’t you be calling the RSPCA?

It shouldn’t be allowed.

As Jake555, pointed out at #17, the RSPCA are certainly campaigning against cage eggs for the simple reason that it does involve cruelty to animals.

Jake555 – I too exercise my rights, but to eat cage eggs…yet I still was judged. This is my point.

Danman – I am concerned about battery hens because of how they live while they are ‘feeding’ us, and the fact that they are pretty much just tossed away for (who knows what) at 12 months of age.

I choose to eat meat, and I also choose to eat meat that comes from places where the animals are well cared for while they are alive, and then killed humanely with as little distress and suffering as possible.

Yes, the animal is still dead, but I am exercising my choice as a consumer to pay a few more bucks to try and ease my conscience.

I don’t know if the issue is so much the ultimate death of the animals that are bred to feed us, but how they are kept in the meantime.

I’m sure that this topic was covered to death last time there was a proposal to ban cage egg production in the ACT (unfortunately RiotACT is like a broken record, every couple of months the same topics get hashed over and over again)

The RSPCA has no idea what constitutes ethically produced eggs as there is still no industry-wide consensus/standards on what constitutes the definition of free range (thus by inferred association: ethical) egg production – http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2008/06/30/choice-concerned-about-eggs.html (June 2008).

I have no problem with the concept of cage produced eggs. If the treatment of the animals was as inhumane (can inhumane treatment be applied to fowl?) as everyone is making out, the RSPCA would have already been the first to intercede, pressed charges against those responsible and had the practice stopped by legal (legislative) enforcement already.

I would have thought that the same people who are concerned about battery hens would consider killing one animal to feed another as the ultimate in inhumanity, regardless of method, the animal is still dead. How more unjust can you get ?

In any case, if free range variety of eggs are only 5 cents dearer, ill keep an eye out next time I am doing my fresh F+V.

Sorry if I pulled at anyone heartstrings, I was unaware that they (free range eggs) were so cheap, as I said, where I shop they are usually double the price.

For the record, I am dead against Foie Gras. That is immeasurably more inhumane than battery hens.

So where do I sign up for PETA ?

Danman the battery cage eggs are really cruel. the choks often have their beaks trimmed so they can fit into the tiny cages. It isn’t the fact of the hens being in a cage that is the problem, it is the tiny size of the cages – something like 14 chooks per metre. They end up nearly featherless and scabby – it is really horrible.

I’d search for a pic for you, but I don’t want to look at them. I really don’t mind paying an extra dollar or two for the cruelty free eggs.

Danman, in the first case slaughtering is required to be carried out as humanely as possible.

The conditions imposed on living creatures in the production of battery eggs, however, could not be described as humane at all.

If someone treated their dog like those hens are treated, you would be appalled. Yet people euthanase animals all the time without it being regarded as cruelty necessarily.

Concerned about the welfare of your meat? Shop at Griffith butcher.

If I could get free range eggs for 3 bucks a dozen, Im sold.

Locally produced – even better.

I just want to throw this into the mix, see what comes back – if thats ok with everyone.

If cage/battery hen eggs are wrong, for reasons of ethical treatment, inhumane conditions, hormone pumping etc, how many free range egg eating people are also vegetarian ?

Allow me to highlight here that meat comes from animals that were killed yeah ?

I’m sorry, it just seems contradictory to me that you care for the welfare of battery and/or cage hens, but on the other hand eat the flesh of more intelligent and a wholly gentle beast.

I guess this comes back to my whole “Each to their own” argument, I eat meat as well, but if I was concerned about the ethical nature of farming animals for food production I would be vegan.

Perhaps those that can afford to should start buying the free range or barn laid eggs, drive up the demand, and lower the price for everyone?

Facilities with battery hens would invest in converting to barn or free range if the demand was there… surely?

There are a couple of clips on the Canberra RSPCA website http://www.rspca-act.org.au/pages/page217.asp

I have always found this debate interesting, mainly because for most controversial issues both sides usually have strong arguments, whereas in this case the best argument against banning cage eggs is a realistically minor saving of about $2 per dozen (if that). Even to those on low incomes this is an insignificant amount.

JB – I don’t seem to be theone with a problem, I openly admit I purchase cage and battery hen eggs because they are cheaper. I am yet to pass judgment on anyone but myself – so it would be safe to assume that people can make their own decisions on the choice of eggs without scorn or wrath from me.

If it were an extra 5 cents then I would probably go free range, but its close to double the price where I shop.

I think the list is useful.

I always buy free range eggs if I can get them, and if the shop in question didn’t stock them I would only buy the cage eggs if I was absolutely desperate. And it would still make me sad.

It is nice to know where I can go to patronise like-minded businesses. It is a disappointment to me that the list is so depressingly short, with so few of my favourite haunts listed.

I will certainly make more of an effort to patronise Tosolinis. They have always been good to me, even offering to change my flat tyre once, but now I know they are even more deserving of my support when in Civic.

I will also go for All Things Chocolate when I am in the Kingston / Manuka area.

Well Dan, maybe those of us who do want to pay an extra 5c appreciate the guidance?

Have you got a problem with that?

LOL you’re telling me, a complete stranger that I need to take a hard look at myself.

You think I don’t care about the feeling of other living things..

I would quite easily take on a speeding car if it saved either of my dogs.

Do not try and judge/psycho analyze me entirely based on my choice of eggs, lest I do the same and assume you’re an idiot.

Who rang about a dozen places including RSPCA, the rangers and veterinarian clinics last weekend because they had a common as dirt juvenile galah with a broken wing in their back yard ?

Guess you’re wrong about me eh ?, perhaps i’m a tightarse, ill admit that, but i’m not the person you portray me as.

Its across the board that all free range and organic produce costs bucket loads more.

Why do you think there is an obesity problem, is it because good food is cheap?

If I wanna save money shopping then isn’t it my right to do that without being judged?

It’s good they’ve put that list out. If you are carefully buying free range or barn eggs, it seems silly to then go eat cage eggs at an eatery. I hate battery farming, I’d boycott pork raised cruelly too, but I don’t eat pork.

Wow. My typing is atrocious today! nutritianl = nutritional.

LOL @ myself!

tylersmayhem said :

She prefers free range for ethical reasons, but ethics never saved anyone coin now did it ?

I refuse to buy caged hen eggs. Not only because of the ethics, but also I don’t want to ingest a product produced by a flogged animal which need massive doses of medicine to keep going. Guess what – all those hormones and antibiotics also transfer into the eggs! No thanks!

Agreed. I buy only free range eggs mostly for the ethical reasons but there are the nutritianl benefits that add weight to the argument for those who dont think about the feelings of other living things for fear of having to part with an extra buck.

Seriously, we are talking about eggs, here. The price difference is negligable. Any employed adult who could know everything we know now about the conditions in which cage eggs are produced, and *still* chooses to buy them to save himself a dollar needs to take a hard look at himself ffs.

If there was a way I could score free eggs that were raised on a diet of nothing but the salt from the RSPCA’s tears, I’d eat those.

Gold, and if I had a pool room… 🙂

She prefers free range for ethical reasons, but ethics never saved anyone coin now did it ?

I refuse to buy caged hen eggs. Not only because of the ethics, but also I don’t want to ingest a product produced by a flogged animal which need massive doses of medicine to keep going. Guess what – all those hormones and antibiotics also transfer into the eggs! No thanks!

johnboy said :

Well to each their own, but all things being equal, I personally would rather the place with the non-cage eggs.

But thats exactly the point, all things aren’t equal.
They’re not priced equally, those who can afford to care might care enough about eating more at these places, less at others, and those who can’t afford to care will just go with whatever they can afford.

If there was a way I could score free eggs that were raised on a diet of nothing but the salt from the RSPCA’s tears, I’d eat those.

barking toad said :

Another great big bunch of tree-hugging hippie of crap. Ethically grown eggs!

And here I was thinking that eggs were produced, not grown.

Well to each their own, but all things being equal, I personally would rather the place with the non-cage eggs.

Doesn’t it stand to reason that the more ethical choice should be cheaper.

Oft when I need eggs for cooking and Mrs Danman isnt present with me at the shops, I purchase cage eggs.

She prefers free range for ethical reasons, but ethics never saved anyone coin now did it ?

There is negligible difference to the end product IMO (and thats with the experience of cracking at least 6 dozen eggs a day for 7 years)

Another great big bunch of tree-hugging hippie of crap. Ethically grown eggs!

If the price differences are as overt as in woolies, I’ll know where to avoid…