New England’s largest egg farm raided; customers and distributors appalled

[ensho]

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_4567.shtml


It takes a lot to get state agriculture officials to raid an established farm in the company of state police. But that’s what the Maine Department of Agriculture did to Quality Egg of New England and Maine Contract Farming in Turner, Maine, on April 1 with a search warrant and in consultation with Androscoggin County prosecutors.

For eight hours law enforcement and agriculture officials entered the ammonia reeking barns on Plains Road where 3 million laying hens are stacked on top of each other over manure pits, gathering photos, shooting video and removing dead and living hens for evidence. The live hens had to be euthanized said state veterinarian, Don Hoenig.

Quality Egg of New England, registered to Mountain Hollow Farms, a division of Radlo Foods and the former infamous DeCoster Egg Farm, produces 21 million eggs a week. Yet to hear their customers tell it, not one of the eggs from the facility where live hens were kicked into manure pits and left to hang by their feet or suffocate in garbage cans went to their stores.

Eggs from the raided farm, stamped 1183 or 1203, were found at Shaw’s, Hannaford and Wal-Mart by the Sun Journal, yet Shaw’s, Hannaford’s and customer Stop & Shop denied doing business with Quality Eggs. Hello?

Even Eggland’s Best -- which has three dedicated barns at one Turner facility site where it feeds hens vegetarian food, but the birds look no better than the others -- whose truck can be seen during the raid, initially denied doing business with Quality Eggs. Later, it announced it was breaking its contract with Radlo Foods that, in turn, vowed to go cage free on the basis of the expose.

Take one look at the video and photos captured by Mercy For Animals (MFA), a national animal protection group, from December 2008 through February 2009, and you’ll see why the grocery stores want to disassociate themselves from the raided egg farm.

-this snip describes the awful conditions for the hens-

Leclerc also noted that Quality Eggs adheres to United Egg Producer guidelines -- which permit battery cages and other cruelty and are largely the reason California’s Proposition 2 passed by such a large margin -- and promised the egg farm will conduct is own investigation.

Maybe they’ll discover they have 3 million hens packed together so tightly they can’t move and they have no veterinarian or humane care.
-------------------------


it has been almost 30 yrs. since I gave up eating chicken because of the terrible way the hens were kept and treated. also because of the terrible working conditions and pay of the mostly women crew.
and all the antibiotics fed the hens, etc.

I'm glad this company has been raided and hoping more will be raided.

hens deserve better and we deserve healthy eggs from healthy happy hens.

perhaps egg production should also be 'local'.

[hippywife]

1. Thanx for this.

We have been raising our own hens for eggs because of this kind of thing. They happily roam around eating bugs and grass, giving us lovely eggs every day.

:hi:

[Ian David]

8. We thought about doing this, but then what do you do when the hens stop laying?

And if you don't eventually eat the hens, how long do they live anyway?

There is no way my daughter would let us eat a chicken we've owned.

And even if we let them live until they die of old age, how often would we be having little chicken funerals?

[hippywife]

10. I dunno.

We've only been raising them for a couple of years. Haven't had to have a funeral yet. But we will let them live as long as they will. Out in the rural area where we live, and allowing them to free range, we do lose one or two on occasion to local preditors.

I guess you could just bury them like you do a pet. We have the option of feeding the turkey buzzards that always eventually show up.

:shrug:

[Ian David]

13. How long do they keep laying eggs for?

Do you have to bring them inside during the winter?

Do they need regular veterinary check-ups?

How much does it cost to feed them?

Actually, I'd rather be able to keep goats, so I could have lactose-free milk. But I think goats are much more high-maintenance and too adorable to eat.

[hippywife]

20. If I can remember right,

they lay eggs from the time they are 6-8 mos. old and will continue laying for a couple of years or so, slowing down towards the end. Two of ours are at just about a year old now and the other four will be a year old this summer. We get anywhere from 4-6 eggs a day right now so they are producing pretty good. In the winter, we get about a couple three a day.

We don't bring them in during the winter. We built a small henhouse with a perch and some nesting boxes inside our garden. If it's going to get lower than the 30's we have a large brooder lamp we turn on in there to warm it up a little.

We got them already vacinated as chicks and they haven't needed vet care since then. They stay pretty healthy because of their living environment.

Not sure of the cost to feed them because I don't keep track. We allow them to range as much as possible when the weather is good and everything is green. I also bring home veggie scraps from the salad bar here at work, which they love that.(just no onions, avocados, or potatoe slices) We also buy scratch and sunflower seeds to suppliment when the ranging isn't good.


Edited to add that ours hate laying feed and since we don't have an organic source for feed anyway, we don't waste our money buying it anymore.

[RaleighNCDUer]

33. Why no onion, avocados or potatoes?

They affect the taste of the eggs or something?

[hippywife]

36. I think the onions do.

They don't like them anyway. But not sure about avocados and potato peels. Just the peels. I think there is something in those they aren't supposed to eat. It's been a while since I did all the research so I don't remember all the specifics.

I probably researched for six months or more before we even got any chickens.

:hi:

[Muttocracy]

62. I take care of a friend's parrots occasionally, and they can't have avocado

so maybe it's a toxic-to-bird thing. I think it's the seed/pit/whatever actually. Don't know about the potatoes, though plants in that family (nightshade family I think, along with tomatoes?) do produce toxins.

[hippywife]

85. Not potatoes...

just the peels altho I still don't know why. It's not like they will eat them or the onions anyway. LOL

[OnionPatch]

71. My chickens love avocados.

I feed them avocados all the time with no ill effects at all. :shrug:

[hippywife]

83. From what I've read

those have been the things listed when feeding them scraps: onion, avocado, and the peels of potatoes as things they shouldn't be given. Not sure why so I don't do it. There have been onions in the scraps sometimes but they don't eat them anyway.

[Muttocracy]

63. I think no-avocado is a bird toxicity thing - true for parrots also. nt

[peacebird]

21. I have a coop outside with a very large fenced run. I close the windows in winter

but that's about it. THe hens so just fine. My birds live until they die, then the bodies get tossed into the edge of the forest about an acre away. The coyote, fox, or vultures then get to have a plump treat.
My hens free range for a couple hours in the afternoon after I get home from work. They lay the tastiest eggs I have ever had - when you crack an egg the white isn't runny liquid and the yolk is deep golden orange!

[hippywife]

26. Our eggs are wonderful, too.

Just like you described. They lay more than I can use so I share with my coworkers and especially with the girls in the kitchen who give me the salad bar scraps to bring home to them.

:hi:

[bvar22]

43. Had to jump in here.

We've been keeping chickens for over a year.
We allow ours to Free Range daily.
We have learned that these are intelligent, social, animals with distinct personalities.
In addition to the eggs, they offer endless entertainment.

Now that I have had the opportunity to get to know these wonderful creatures, I am even more outraged by the Factory Chicken Farms. They are just outright cruel.

We testify to the taste and nutritional benefits of Free Range Eggs.
The pale, anemic, tasteless eggs sold in the supermarkets are no comparison.
We will NEVER be able to go back to Factory Eggs.

We love our birds.

[hippywife]

44. I really, really love that pic!

:hug: :hi:

[SPedigrees]

48. Oh I LOVE your photo!

It weighs in heavily on the pro-chicken keeping side of my little internal dilemma.

And yes, there's nothing like eggs from home kept free-ranging chickens. We're sometimes able to buy them from co-workers and neighbors who are overwhelmed when their birds are producing profusely. Because most of these people have a variety of breeds, the eggs are varied in size and texture and color (some are speckled.) Apart from the aesthetics, as others have said, they taste infinitely better.

The cage-free eggs from the supermarket are miles ahead (in all respects) of the factory farmed eggs, and the home raised chicken eggs miles ahead of the supermarket cage-free variety.

[EnviroBat]

50. What's the learning curve for chicken husbandry?

My friends neighbor has quite a few, and they all look happy and healthy. They produce more eggs than the family could ever use, so they just give them away to surrounding neighbors. I've often though it would be a good thing to learn how to raise chickens.

[cornermouse]

57. www.feathersite.com

is a good all round resource to start at. Breeds, hatcheries, information about taking care of them.

[CrispyQ]

52. Fab pic!!

We had bantams when I was a kid. They are delightful creatures.

Of the barnyard animals, I think the layer hens are the most cruelly treated.

[Arkansas Granny]

40. My dad always liked keeping a few old hens around the place for the eggs.

The ladies were never eaten, however, and after they quit laying they lived in retirement until they died of old age. The last old biddy hen they had lived to be around 7-8 years old and would still lay an egg now and then. We would butcher some of the roosters from time to time and sold others to neighbors, but we never got into serious meat production with the chickens.

[hippywife]

41. I just don't think I could do it.

After raising them, feeding them and laughing at their antics. Altho when the Black Jersery Giants pick on the docile Buff Orpingtons and peck at their heads I don't like them very much.

:hi:

[SPedigrees]

29. I was told by a gal who kept exotic chickens

that she has never killed a chicken. She said the hens eventually and gradually quit laying in their old age, but they don't eat much and it is cost effective to keep the retirees on.

I've thought about raising our own chickens but it would be a lot of work, so still on the fence. Haven't made a decision on whether or not to eat the chickens, or to have a smaller flock just for the eggs.

For the past 5 yrs we've bought only cage-free eggs. I've seen documentaries and news programs showing the way these chickens live and while they aren't outside scratching in the dirt and pecking at bugs in the green grass, they can at least move about in a crowded building. Surprise, surprise... these birds produce better than those crammed into stacked cages.

I need to write to Hannaford supermarkets requesting that they also offer cage-free chickens.

[hippywife]

30. It's really not that much work.

My husband feeds them in the morning, I come home after work and feed them and collect the eggs. If it's nice, they free range the rest of the evening and all day on the weekends and their pens get raked out and re-hayed every weekend. The old litter goes in the compost pile for the garden.

It really does become quite routine even with more. We currently have six and have had as many as fourteen at a time.

[SPedigrees]

46. Thanks hippywife :-)

I guess the work (and expense) would be in building the coop and enclosed run. I can't let them run loose here due to neighbors fairly close by. Also if I decided to raise them for meat, the slaughtering and feather picking would be a chore. (I remember my grandma soaking birds in the sink and plucking pinfeathers.) Probably tho I'd opt for just a few egg layers. Killing animals I'd raised would not likely be easy for me.

But then if we wanted to move to a less rural area in a few years we'd be tied down here until our surviving hens passed on. At our age, not sure I want that commitment.

So probably chickens not in our future. But they would be nice to have around. I miss the clucking sounds they make. They were so prevalent back a few decades; now I rarely see a chicken close up.

[hippywife]

47. There are lots of folks that would be

more than willing to take those hens off your hands if you move. I wouldn't let that worry you.

Also, make sure if you do get just a few for eggs, that you build a significantly larger run than you think they will need. It will amaze you how fast they will wear it down to bear dirt. In a flash!

How close are your neighbors and how large and enclosed is your yard/property? If you only get hens, the neighbors won't be disturbed by loud crowing at all.

PM me if you want help with any specifics. I'd be happy to assist. :hi:

[SPedigrees]

51. I have trouble re-homing animals.

I have a 33 yr old pony that I bought when she was 3 to save from slaughter and to re-home. Yep she's still here, and we can't move while she lives!

We are suing the nasty neighbors for property destruction and embroiled in an unpleasant boundary dispute with them. No way will I let one of my animals anywhere near them. However if loud crowing bothers them, they can suck it up! They revv their engines, set off fireworks and fire their guns (usually illegally at migrating Canada geese - I WISH the game warden would catch them!) so if they don't like a crowing rooster, too bad! But like you said, I'd probably just get hens.

We had planned to get chickens 35 yrs ago when we bought our property, but found horse care too overwhelming to consider yet another species of farm animal.

I appreciate the tips, advice and experience. Ya never know, we might still decide to take on feathered egg-layers!

I was thinking of possibly a large movable covered run that could be picked up and moved to different areas of our mowed pasture to allow them access to a larger area during the day.

[Maine-ah]

64. make sure to check with your town ordinances too

right now the town of Camden won't let people keep chickens on their property and there is a bit of debate going on. Some folks who owned some chickens on their property were told they had to get rid of them. Portland however allows chickens.

I'd hate to see you get them and then have to get rid of them. You may need to own a certain amount of acreage.

[uppityperson]

53. My oldest hen is 10. Lays about 1 egg/yr, is a pet

[csziggy]

60. For those thinking about having your own chickens or other livestock

Check with your local County Cooperative Extension Office - they have loads of information, most of it free, and may be able to hook you up with local farmers who could sell you produce, eggs, etc. or locally produced livestock to start your own flock or herd. They can also help you find a veterinarian to help you care for your animals.

Many of the offices are still stuck in the chemical, typical farming practices, but you can pick through their info to get what you want for organic, locally grown foods.

This link will help you find your local office: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

[Shallah Kali]

65. Another resource to help would-be chicken keepers - The City Chicken &Mother Earth News

http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/

http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx

[Marrah_G]

72. My mother would take them to the turkey farm and have them butchered

They would come back to the house looking like store bought chicken. I wouldn't have eaten them if I had known they were my "friends".

[Lisa0825]

2. I wish they would crack down on more farms. nt

I am not eating much meat anymore, and when I do, I am trying to only buy local.

[hippywife]

12. I wish you would refine that wish a little

to exclude the small local farmer who isn't supplying the corporate food conglomerates. :hi:

Ask your congress critter to do the same when deciding who is defined as a food producer in H.B. 875, too.

:hi:

[Lisa0825]

15. Well I did say inside the message that I am trying to buy more local.

That is how I meant it :hi: backatcha

It's been a lot easier since I cut way down on meat. I haven't cooked meat at home in 2 months now. I gave away a whole bag of frozen chicken breasts because I figured I wouldn't use them before they got freezer burned, and I decided that if I were to cook meat, it was going to come from a local market. Since I am eating so little, I can afford to buy better! :)

[hippywife]

17. Hey, Lisa!

I only cook meat at home and only rarely eat it out. That way I know where it came from...my local farmer. We still only have it a couple of times a week.

If you wrap your meats and poultry and then put them in a freezer bag, they do fine. Our through the coop come already frozen and vacuum sealed so they do beautifully in the freezer as is.

I agree that eating less of it, which is better for you anyway, allows you the extra to buy the good, clean, safe stuff from a local and known source.

:hi:

[Lisa0825]

19. The reason I only eat meat when I go out is that I can't bring myself to give up

a few favorites, like beef fajitas, which I generally like better at my favorite restaurants than I can make myself. I have basically been eating out once a week, and taking home leftovers, so I am only having meat on average for 2 meals per week.

My grocery bill is dramatically lower, and I don't feel like I am missing much at all!

[hippywife]

23. But you can't source

the meat you are eating in a restaurant. Most of it comes from feedlot cattle. That's why we try to keep it eaten only at home 'cause if you think the corporate chicken farms are gross, the corporate cattle feedlots and processors are just as bad.

[Lisa0825]

25. Yeah, but like I said.... I know my limitations....

I have improved things a lot, but I don't think I can give up a couple favorites. I am not perfect. :shrug:

I wish more restaurants would specialize in "slow food."

[hippywife]

28. I definitely know the feeling

and have succumbed to temptation a time or two myself. Then stories like this crop up to remind me why I make every effort not to.

There are things I miss but I try to weigh whether it's worth it or not.

:hi:

[druidity33]

68. when you end the post title with NT

it generally means there is No Text in the body of that post. Some folk scan post titles and respond when they see NT because they think there is no other information there! So don't complain that someone didn't read the body of your message, when you specifically told them there was nothing there.

:shrug:

[Kaleva]

75. People will buy the cheaper factory farm produced eggs

It's more efficient to monitor food intake and egg production when the chickens are kept in cages. Waste matter is also easier to contain and dispose of properly.

[hippywife]

84. Those are no reasons to buy factory eggs.

Waste matter goes directly into our compost for our garden. There isn't an ounce of waste and I have more eggs that I can use from just six chickens. And I scratch cook and bake constantly. It's a healthier, cleaner, safer alternative for both us and the birds.

Is your post really advocating for the type of system like the one in the article?

[hlthe2b]

3. Depressing, that's for sure.... n/t

[smoogatz]

4. Hell yes.

We buy all our eggs from local organic producers. They're more expensive, but you know what? They actually taste good. Like eggs! Imagine that. If the town would let me, I'd keep chickens in my back yard--though I'm not sure what I'd do with them when it got down to 30-below!

[XemaSab]

49. The old guy who we buy eggs from at the farmer's market

sells a dozen for $3.50.

I think that's a darn good price there. :D

[Name removed]

5. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cyberswede]

6. Definitely buy local!

When I was a kid, a farmer delivered eggs from his farm to our house once a week (we called him the Egg Man). My mother said they tasted better and were fresher than store-bought eggs. Just the other day, I bought local eggs from our feed store (the farmer delivered them that day).

People might be able to find a source for fresh local eggs (as well as other produce) at this website:

http://www.localharvest.org/

[cobalt1999]

27. Exactly.

Just the carbon impact of transportation is worth buying local, not to mention you can see the farm and the money stays local.

[redqueen]

54. Thanks so much for sharing that link.

I'm putting it in my sig. :)

[knitter4democracy]

76. I just found another local egg source, and I'm excited!

They're cheaper than similar eggs at the store (which really aren't all that similar--free range with barely any flavor), and nothing beats a good egg.

[monmouth]

7. I loved, as a child, going with my mother (during the war) down the road

to the "egg lady". Mother would buy a dozen, they were the best tasting eggs ever. This was a way for this woman to make her "pin money" as they called it back then. Wish "egg lady" was around these days, no matter what the purchase in the grocery store there's always a fear of one sort or another.

[RaleighNCDUer]

38. My grandmother WAS the egg lady down the road during the war.

My mom was raised on a little farm and she remembers the hobos getting off the train looking for work and food during the depression, and says she never felt poor because they always had enough food for the family and some to share - and they did feed hobos that came to the door, in exchange for a little work cutting wood or mowing the lawn. The farm was just a sustenance operation - one cow, a couple goats, and a bunch of chickens - the real family business was a shoe store in town, and a couple years into the war, '42 or '43, they moved into town because there wasn't enough help to maintain the farm AND the shoe store - everybody was off to war.

[XOKCowboy]

42. We bought ours from Mrs Landis...

She'd always keep all of the brown eggs for my grandmother. She was a sweet old widow woman who made money from eggs and chickens. The Landis's had been neighbors forever. I remember it being quite the ordeal for a 6 yr old since Grandma and Ms Landis would have to sit down and chat for an hour or so and gossip while we had to sit there and be good. She always had cookies or brownies for us which made it somewhat bearable.

Ahhhh memories of a simpler time. When food tasted good.

[flvegan]

9. BIG props to Mercy for Animals!

They infiltrated, got the video prompting this raid. Nice work!!

Investigator's diary here (no graphic images at this particular link):

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/maine-eggs/field-notes.asp

And BTW, this is SOP at battery cage operations.

[Gormy Cuss]

11. The sad thing, there's nothing new about this --DeCoster always has had terrible conditions

for hens and workers. Many of those dirt cheap supermarket eggs come from DeCoster-affiliated farms.

[mainegreen]

14. Decoster Egg farm is not a happy place. They're always in trouble.

[Old and In the Way]

35. I've been reading stories about these guys for 30 years.

I didn't know they changed their name, but once they said "located in Turner, ME" I knew it was DeCoster.

[Critters2]

59. So, this is a DeCoster outfit? We've had to deal with him in Iowa

for too long, too. I hope this facility is shut down for good. Then, on to Iowa!!

[jpak]

74. I used to work there - and know all about it

What is being reported here is NOTHING compare to the things I've seen and experienced.

And they treat their employees worse than their hens.

Fuck 'em

[ohheckyeah]

16. We have someone local that sells us

eggs for $1.00 a dozen. We always give them more because it's a lot of work for $1.00 dozen. The eggs are much more tasty than the ones in stores.

[GreenPartyVoter]

32. We get local eggs when we can, but I am sad to say I am sure we must have gotten eggs from the

factory farm listed above as well. :(

[ohheckyeah]

39. Do you find local eggs to be far superior?

Sometimes the shells are so hard they are hard to crack and the yolk is real deep orange.

[hippywife]

61. They are a deep orange

because of the higher protein they are able to get from grazing on grass and bugs. They are also lower in cholesterol when they really do free range for feed.

I've never had a shell that was almost too hard to crack from any of our girls. The membrane that coats the shell is a little tougher which can make them a tad harder to crack but not by much.

They are totally and in every way better than a store bought egg. :hi:

[dipsydoodle]

18. UK - from a year ago

BRITAIN’S supermarkets are to ban the sale of eggs from battery hens amid a growing consumer backlash over the impact of cheap food on animal welfare.

Sainsbury, Morrisons and the Co-op said this weekend that they would ban or phase out the sale of eggs from caged hens. Eggs from battery hens have already been removed from Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.

The move is likely to mean that within three years most supermarkets will sell only eggs from barn, free range and organic hens.

The move coincides with a campaign by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to persuade consumers to demand better welfare for hens.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3137634.ece

More or less disappeared without trace now.

[sharp_stick]

22. I hate battery egg farms

they should be controlled as a factory instead of as a farm. The same thing with the massive hog and cattle operations that hide from regulators by calling themselves "farms".

[flvegan]

24. Farm is an improper term, correct. The Animal Welfare Act doesn't cover birds.

So there really is no oversight and they don't even resemble anything remotely like a farm.

[hippywife]

31. Bingo!

Hit the nail on the head. We also need to get corporate ag influence out of the USDA.

:hi:

[spooky3]

34. Pay a little extra and buy organic, free range if you can

Yes, it's a bit more, but relatively humane farms need our support.

Every little bit helps.

[hippywife]

37. Add local to that description and you've covered it well.

Buying eggs in the grocery that are labeled organic, natural, free range or cage free don't mean nuthin' at all. There are so many labeling loopholes for corporate ag these days.

You're right about every little bit helping, too. The more money we take away from corporate ag and spend with local sustainable farmers, the more we're voting with our dollars that we aren't going to stand for it anymore. The more we buy, the more we can help it become more affordable and accessible for everyone.

:hi:

[druidity33]

69. the article specifically states

That many Egg companies sourced their eggs from this farm (remember 3.2 million eggs A DAY). Including the Eggland's Best Vegetarian feed egg. The "free range" qualifications are a joke, as are the Organic standards. If you truly want "humane" eggs, the only way to be sure you're getting them is to have your own chickens, or go directly to the person that has the chickens. Just. No. Other. Way.

Sorry, i hate to burst bubbles...


Local Economies are better!

[spooky3]

86. no argument about local, but I've never thought of Eggland as meeting any standards

There are many other brands besides those described in this article. No argument either about the need for better federal standards.

[druidity33]

87. let me say in particular then

that "free range" is a joke. That's what i was responding to but didn't relate it well enough. It just means they have a small opening they can walk through if they want. Many people don't realize that. Labels can be deceptive.

:shrug:

[eShirl]

45. "the former infamous DeCoster Egg Farm"

Doesn't surprise me one bit.

[reggie the dog]

55. i pay a bit more and buy local open air farm raised eggs

[NashVegas]

56. FACTORY FARMS SUCK AND MAKE HORRIBLE, FLAVORLESS FOOD PRODUCT

Ever drive by one?

[knitter4democracy]

77. Amen to that.

I get almost all my meat and eggs locally, and we eat far better because of it. Thank goodness for small, local farms.

[Critters2]

58. Is this DeCoster's company? Anyone know? nt

[Shallah Kali]

66. SunJournal: Penalty timeline of the Turner egg farms

http://www.sunjournal.com/story/310629-3/LewistonAuburn/Penalty_timeline_of_the_Turner_egg_farms/

Quality Egg
Contact Form:http://www.qualityegg.net/contact.html

Our full contact information:

Quality Egg of New England, LLC
PO Box 515
Turner, Maine 04282

Phone: [phone]
email: [e-mail]

[Shallah Kali]

67. Egg Farm Managers Fire Back At Animal Rights Organization

http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNews/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/1858/ItemId/10007/Default.aspx

For nearly a week now, Bob LeClerc's telephone has been ringing off the hook. LeClerc is the compliance manager for the former DeCoster Egg Farm now collectively known as Maine Contract Farming and Quality Egg of New England. Ever since the vegan animal rights group Mercy For Animals released undercover video allegedly showing hens being spun by the neck, kicked into manure pits and left to die in the trash, LeClerc and his bosses have been under pressure to defend their practices and their livelihoods. They're also going on the offensive.


"An old Maine term is bamboozled," LeClerc says. "We were indeed bamboozled by this particular individual."

The Mercy for Animals investigator was hired by Maine Contract Farming in December. But LeClerc says at the time he never presented any credentials as such. Maine law says it is a crime to act as a paid investigator without a license. And the farm is hoping state officials will hold Mercy for Animals accountable for this lapse.

LeClerc: "We were paying him to do a job and he did not do the job and was working for somebody else, therefore stealing our company's money. That's totally inappropriate."

oh poor innocent naive country folk factory farmers taken in by big city boy animal cruelty investigator!!! Good Gawd what nerve to cry victim after the abuses both human and animal this company has committed year after year after year! Even for people who don't care about animal cruelty should have the enlightened selfinterest to not want their eggs to come from creatures forced to live in their own waste or caged with the rotting bodies of other chickens!

[and-justice-for-all]

70. The way people treat animals for profit is fucking disgusting...nt

[jpak]

73. Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick, Jack DeCoster....

:evilgrin:

[jdadd]

78. This has been an issue here in Central Ohio

I haven't heard anything recently about this place, but in the past they were in the news almost every night. Among other complaints, they would take outdated eggs and re date them and mix them in with fresh eggs.

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=croton+egg+farm&page=1&qsrc=19&ab=2&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ohiohistorycentral.org%2Fentry.php%3Frec%3D1672

[lonestarnot]

79. Terrible!

[femrap]

80. No more Chicken/Egg Factories! nt

[old mark]

81. My grandmother from Germany used to have chickens in the back

yard when I was a kid. She kept a little chicken house, maybe 6 hens, for fresh eggs. We usually get fresh local eggs - I got the Eggland eggs once and got a bad reaction to them, won't ever buy them again.
Actually , we found the eggs from Walmart are very good the best of any local chain market.

mark

[bullwinkle428]

82. It literally only costs a few cents more to get eggs from local farms

using free-range chickens, not shot up with hormones or any of that other shit, at my supermarket!

It's just appalling how either ignorant or apathetic the consumer in general can be, when it comes to things like this...