May 3rd, 2010
By Sara Shields
A recent Associated Press article about one researcher’s effort to breed “gentler” chickens is getting a lot of attention. Agribusiness representatives have seized the article to defend the cruel practice of confining hens in cages (claiming that most egg-laying hens are, by nature, too aggressive to each other to let them live in a cage-free environment). A closer inspection of the issue leads to a different conclusion. Certainly, studies that lead to improved animal welfare—such as reduced feather-pecking among laying hens—are a positive step. However, the egg industry needn’t wait for new bird strains to exist before working to improve birds’ quality of life.
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