Wanohana, aiming for a recycling-based lifestyle, is cage-free

In response to an inquiry from Animal Rights Center Japan, Wanohana farm in Hitachi-Omiya of Ibaraki Prefecture that aims for a recycling-based lifestyle, responded that all the eggs they use are already cage-free and that they would support the cage-free declaration.

They sell pudding made of cage-free eggs.

Wanohana’s website says,

Laying hens are usually abandoned at the age of one and a half to two years.

This is because the eggs laid by aged chickens are often deformed or the egg production rate decreases. (although egg quality is fine)

The actual lifespan of a chicken is said to be over 5 years,

and from my wife’s desire to keep the chickens alive for as long as possible, I decided to make pudding using deformed eggs.

He also mentioned on Wanohana’s blog about chicken health issues.

Regarding bird flu, there are two ways of thinking: one is to thoroughly isolate chickens from pathogens (disperse disinfectants, regularly vaccinate, and give antibiotics in windowless poultry houses), and the other is to raise strong and healthy chickens that overcome the pathogens (keep the animals cage-free and keep them as close to the natural environment as possible).  This is not to say which is right; neither method can be said to completely protect the chickens from pathogens.  However, it may be necessary to take essential measures.  I think that a lot of chickens infected with influenza will be disposed of in China again this time, but even if the situation settles this way, it would only have been a makeshift solution if it reoccurs several years later.

Eggs have been price-stable for decades and have nutrition, making them an excellent food source, but in the name of efficiency, chickens are now kept in small cages where their wings cannot be spread, all diseases caused by the stress and obesity are prevented with vaccines and antibiotics, and the rearing method of just eating feed and laying eggs seems to be coming to a limit.  This may be a warning from livestock animals regarding the endless desire of humans to eat tasty food at low prices.

In addition, this farm is aiming for a recycling-based lifestyle, and is also caring for the environment by distributing chicken manure to nearby organic vegetable farmers and having handmade composting toilets.