SF passes resoltution opposing battery cages

[Guest guest]

http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/sanfrancisco012908.htm\

l

 

 

San Francisco Becomes Fourth California City to Oppose One of Factory Farming's

Worst Abuses

 

 

January 29, 2008

 

 

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has signed a unanimously-passed Board of

Supervisors resolution opposing one of the most notorious factory farming

abuses: cramming egg-laying hens into tiny battery cages where they can barely

move.

 

The resolution was introduced by San Francisco Board of Supervisors president

Aaron Peskin, and the Board of Supervisors passed the resolution on January

15th. It condemns the confinement of laying hens in battery cages as " cruel and

inhumane, " and " encourages consumers of eggs not to purchase eggs produced by

caged hens. "

 

San Francisco is the fourth California city (and tenth in the nation) to pass a

resolution on battery cage confinement, joining Santa Cruz, Berkeley and West

Hollywood.

 

" The San Francisco Board of Supervisors should be applauded for objecting to one

of the cruelest forms of mistreatment of animals on factory farms, " comments

Paul Shapiro, senior director of The Humane Society of the United States'

factory farming campaign. " The egg industry should listen to the demands of the

public and end its abusive practice of confining hens in battery cages. "

 

Thousands of California citizens are now volunteering their time to collect

signatures to put a measure on the November 2008 ballot that would require that

egg-laying hens, calves used for veal, and pigs used for breeding be given

enough room to turn around and extend their limbs. 650,000 signatures will be

turned in to qualify the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act for the ballot.

 

Facts

 

California factory farms confine approximately 19 million hens in barren battery

cages that are so small, the birds can't even spread their wings. Each bird has

less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live.

California companies and universities—including Burger King, Ben & Jerry's,

Wolfgang Puck, Google, Bon Appetit Management Company, Stanford, San Francisco

State University, and University of California-Berkeley—are moving away from

using foods from animals confined in crates and cages. Retailers such as Rainbow

Foods and Andronico's have stopped selling eggs from caged hens.

While cage-free does not mean cruelty-free, cage-free hens generally have

250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their

natural behaviors than are caged hens. Cage-free hens may not be able to go

outside, but they are able to walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in

nests—all behaviors permanently denied to hens confined in battery cages.

Timeline

 

December 2007—The world's largest food service provider, Compass Group, begins

switching to cage-free eggs.

October 2007—Californians begin collecting signatures to put the Prevention of

Farm Animal Cruelty Act on the 2008 ballot.

March 2007—Wolfgang Puck announces that he is ending his use of cage eggs, and

Burger King begins phasing in the use of cage-free eggs.

November 2003—The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading to label

eggs from battery-caged hens as " Animal Care Certified. "

2000-2002—McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's require that their meat and egg

suppliers abide by very modest animal welfare standards.

-30-

 

 

 

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal

protection organization—backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30.

For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of

all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating

animals and confronting cruelty—on the web at humanesociety.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.

Confucius

[Guest guest]

on one level, it's a step in the right direction. on another,

it just placates the soccer moms' guilt about animal mistreatment and

extends the abuse of animals as food products. in the end, all egg

producers (battery cage or otherwise) must breed future egg layers

(i.e. hens) and reserve an area for that purpose facilitating the

development of fertilized eggs utilizing, at most, one rooster, since

two roosters leads to major conflict. since sexing chicks is an

art rather than a science:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_sexer

 

and since the small farmers must wait a while til they know

what's in the " poultry trousers " , as a practical matter,

half of all chicks on an egg farm get ground up either pretty early or

pretty late, because roosters have no value other than some specialty

producers that castrate them early and i guess some people get off on

eating this type of thing:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capon

 

so, maybe battery cages are out, but whacking half the new

recruits is definitely " in " as long as you don't know the

pesky details, eh? i wonder what his honorable mayor newsom would say

to that?

 

blake

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/sanfrancisco012908.html

 

San Francisco Becomes Fourth California City to Oppose One of Factory

Farming's Worst Abuses

 

 

January 29, 2008

 

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has signed a unanimously-passed Board

of Supervisors resolution opposing one of the most notorious factory

farming abuses: cramming egg-laying hens into tiny battery cages where

they can barely move.

 

The resolution was introduced by San Francisco Board of Supervisors

president Aaron Peskin, and the Board of Supervisors passed the

resolution on January 15th. It condemns the confinement of laying hens

in battery cages as " cruel and inhumane, " and

" encourages consumers of eggs not to purchase eggs produced by

caged hens. "

 

San Francisco is the fourth California city (and tenth in the nation)

to pass a resolution on battery cage confinement, joining Santa Cruz,

Berkeley and West Hollywood.

 

" The San Francisco Board of Supervisors should be applauded for

objecting to one of the cruelest forms of mistreatment of animals on

factory farms, " comments Paul Shapiro, senior director of The

Humane Society of the United States' factory farming campaign.

" The egg industry should listen to the demands of the public and

end its abusive practice of confining hens in battery cages. "

 

Thousands of California citizens are now volunteering their time to

collect signatures to put a measure on the November 2008 ballot that

would require that egg-laying hens, calves used for veal, and pigs

used for breeding be given enough room to turn around and extend their

limbs. 650,000 signatures will be turned in to qualify the Prevention

of Farm Animal Cruelty Act for the ballot.

 

Facts

 

California factory farms confine approximately 19 million hens in

barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can't even spread

their wings. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on

which to live.

California companies and universities-including Burger King, Ben &

Jerry's, Wolfgang Puck, Google, Bon Appetit Management Company,

Stanford, San Francisco State University, and University of

California-Berkeley-are moving away from using foods from animals

confined in crates and cages. Retailers such as Rainbow Foods and

Andronico's have stopped selling eggs from caged hens.

While cage-free does not mean cruelty-free, cage-free hens generally

have 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in

more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens. Cage-free hens

may not be able to go outside, but they are able to walk, spread their

wings, and lay their eggs in nests-all behaviors permanently denied

to hens confined in battery cages.

Timeline

 

December 2007-The world's largest food service provider, Compass

Group, begins switching to cage-free eggs.

October 2007-Californians begin collecting signatures to put the

Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act on the 2008 ballot.

March 2007-Wolfgang Puck announces that he is ending his use of cage

eggs, and Burger King begins phasing in the use of cage-free eggs.

November 2003-The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading

to label eggs from battery-caged hens as " Animal Care

Certified. "

2000-2002-McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's require that their

meat and egg suppliers abide by very modest animal welfare

standards.

-30-

 

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal

protection organization-backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of

every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for

the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and

hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty-on

the web at humanesociety.org.

 

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.

Confucius