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9th April 2010

Highlighted Campaign for April 2010

posted in Campaigns and Events by Jacki @ 9:58 pm |

Being the season of “Easter”, or as we Orthodox call it, “Pascha”, I thought it appropriate to highlight the plight of chickens.  This topic occuring to me because for many months in the lead up to the season, we see chocolate chickens and Easter eggs for sale in the shops, and on Pascha, it is the Orthodox tradition to have boiled eggs which are dyed red,  and play a game of smashing them at the table whilst saying “Christ is Risen”, seeing whose egg will be the strongest and not break.  The egg symbolising new life and the red the blood of Jesus. And while chicken dishes may not be the traditional food of Easter for many of our ominverous friends, why not take the opportunity to talk about the plight of both the laying chickens and the “broiler” chickens (those destined to be eaten).

Outlining the cruelties which occur in the farming of both these groups of chickens on this site would be “preaching to the converted”, so I won’t go in to it too much.  If you want to read further about the welfare issues in the farming of “broiler chickens” go to:
http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-are-the-welfare-issues-relating-to-meat-chicken-production_85.html

If you want to read something on the welfare issues of battery hens, go to:
http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-the-RSPCAs-position-on-battery-cages_103.html

 Check out this British campaign to get people to go free range: http://www.chickenout.tv

In Australia, approximately 80% of laying chickens are kept in cages.  But it seems that slowly the public is changing it’s mind and the demand for free range eggs is increasing.  Both Woolworths and McDonalds are talking about decreasing their use of cage eggs.  People argue that the demand for cage eggs will never cease as it is the most affordable option for the budget conscious shopper, but we can always hope that over time, with the increasing awareness of the public, that figure of 80% will at least drop.

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