Poultry welfare claims

 Big, corporate egg producers often try to justify intensive production systems by suggesting that cage-free or free range flocks have lower welfare standards than their cage or barn systems. At a recent industry gathering, a US professor claimed that hens outdoors face increased exposure to multiple ectoparasites including red mites and lice. She said that the complex environments and greater contact with wild birds in these systems create ideal conditions for parasites to establish and spread, causing significant economic losses and welfare problems for producers. She says the outdoor hens are being exposed to a wider range of ectoparasites. with greater contact with wild birds, give parasites a chance to establish themselves. What she and the big producers ignore is that crowded conditions for hens, or any animals is far more likely to create parasite or infection problems. Sunlight is a great sanitiser and an open air lifestyle has its own health benefits.