Here chicky chicky....

Great new and bad news. The great news is Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an egg bill that states all eggs sold in California, have to come from hens that are cage free. They need to be able to stretch, roll around, do some 'downward facing chicken' and not be bothered by their neighbor. This is great news for a few reasons. One-it may mean that farmers can't subject them to hormone or antibiotic treatment which makes them too fat to walk. And two-hens that get to run around are happier and happier hens make for happier eggs and happier bellies (if you believe in the energy of the animals transferring to our food.)

The bad news is, farmers may still give them antibodies and hormones to an extent. More bad news, they can still feed them what they want -corn, soy etc. One more piece of bad news, this law does not regulate chickens that are raised for their meat. Those chickens will still be found in a dark hut full of antibiotics and hormones and are unable to walk.

BUT this bill is a baby step. It means the government is recognizing that we need to take responsibility for the treatment of our food source. This may even mean they take another look at the chickens being raised for their meat. And then we may move on to the treatment of other animals. So what can you do?

You already know-I hope, that eggs from hens that are full of antibiotics and hormones are bad for your body. Right? So if you know they are bad for you, why would you eat them? Eggs without all of that are JUST as tasty. Next time you go to the supermarket look for:

1-Free-range-Hens that are allowed to go outside their cages when the farmer lets them but they don't because they understand the new "one hour out of your cell" policy

2-Cage-free-Hens that get to roam free eating anything in site from bugs to grass, clover-all the good stuff

3-What did they eat?-Well this one is tricky. I find it ideal to go to the farmers market to buy eggs because you can ask the farmers 'egg'actly what they have been fed. They may even have a list for you. My advice-stay away from a vegetarian diet. This means they eat soy and corn and other items chickens were never meant to eat. Let them be the omnivores they were meant to be.

Westin Price goes into greater detail of raising chickens if you are ever interested. I am thinking Smokey might like a little friend running around the backyard!!