Mothers-For-Hens

Don't support KFC!

2007-05-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Click here to see why...

We need YOUR email letter

2007-03-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Exciting times await us!

Start emailing a letter to the store you ordinarily buy your groceries from.
You can "cut and paste" this letter ( below) and email it to your store.

(Email addresses of all concerned are listed at the bottom - just scroll down)

It will take you less than 45 seconds to do this...

Attention: The Store Manager
(Add Shop name here)

RE: Organic Free Range Eggs

I was shopping at your store (add location here) and notice that
you do not sell organic free range eggs. I would like you to source
organic free range eggs for sale.

I noticed that Woolworths adhere to the animal welfare policy and
the 5 freedoms internationally accepted as the basis for the
ethical and humane treatment of animals.

These are:

* Freedom from fear and distress
* Freedom from hunger and thirst
* Freedom from discomfort
* Freedom from pain, injury and disease
* Freedom to express normal behavior

I would like to buy organic free-range eggs laid by hens that
roam freely outdoors in the day and snuggle up in their barn at
night.

If Woolworths can sell only organic free range eggs to South
Africans, why can't you as well?

I hope that you will do your best to accommodate me in this regard
and I look forward to buying organic free range eggs from your shop
during my next visit.

Kind regards,

(Your name / you can also be anonymous)

Shoprite contact@shoprite.co.za
Spar tessa.dewsbury@spar.co.za address your letter to Wayne Hook (CEO)
Pick n Pay ( This chain has the biggest market share in South Africa)

Mail to all three:

*Chief Executive Officer*
Sean Summers
ssummers@pnp.co.za

*Group Finance Director*
Dennis Cope
dcope@pnp.co.za

*Deputy Chairman*
David Robins
DRobbins@pnp.co.za

Click on the picture to support petition to KFC

2007-03-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Living in South Africa is dangerous - and it is your problem

2007-03-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

As many South Africans know, living in South Africa is dangerous.

50 % of all woman will be raped in South Africa - shocking!

Is life not a full circle - have you not been taught "what comes around goes around"?

We are "raping" another woman, daily, continuously and in such a way that nature has created a way for her to become extinct. We are "raping" our hens, giving them the poorest quality of life in cages so that we can get cheap eggs. By this "economic raping" of caged chickens, nature has created avian bird flu ( click here to see scientific proof) and is desperately trying to eliminate chickens and forcing them to become extinct.

STOP THE "ECONOMIC RAPING" OF CHICKENS AND LIMIT AVIAN BIRD FLU IN SOUTH AFRICA

Stop buying caged hen eggs or battery hen eggs!

Buy organic or free range eggs.

Buying battery or caged hen eggs are DEADLIER than AIDS

2007-03-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

Click on this link - see how mothers in South Africa are buying eggs that might contain mutated avian bird flu and then feeding the eggs to their children.

Are you one of them?

Buy organic or free range eggs and avoid the risk...

Talk - "a - talk - a - day"

2007-03-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

After viewing all these horrible video clips and hearing all the fact surrounding battery or caged hens and the egg industry, yo are probably asking yourself "What can I do?"

You can do a lot, in fact the future of the hens and egg industry in South Africa depends on YOU!

This is what you can do:

1. TALK about it

A "talk - a - day" is what is needed. What do you do every day? You get groceries. Have you asked the store manager for free range eggs, do they sell free range eggs, if they don't - please TALK about it to the store manager in a pleasant manner.

Not only will you make the store manager talk about it to the buyer but everyone who overhears the conversation will think about it. Have you asked the till check out cashier if they sell free range eggs? She might call her supervisor and ask her and she in return asks the next manager and so... the domino effect of saving hens starts...with YOU ( thank you!)

2. Coffee and breakfast with your friend / husband / wife at a restaurant

Another great opportunity to have your "talk-a-day". Weather having a breakfast or brunch or lunch or dinner at any restaurant, ask the waiter if he can ask the manager if they use free range eggs in their dishes. The waiter will start talking about it, the manager will talk about it to the person responsible for buying the eggs, the buyer will talk about it to the seller and might just source free range eggs in future.

We are planning to provide restaurants who use free range eggs in their dishes with a special "hen friendly" poster that they can display in the future. Consumers like you can choose to rather support those restaurants who support humane treatment of animals.

Again you have a fantastic opportunity to talk about this subject.

3. Barbecues with the family

Family and friends have to listen to you! :) Start with your own household and then spread the word to your immediate family and friends. Most family and friends are curious to know about this subject and once you tell them why they should support humane production of eggs and save the poor little hens, they will absolutely do it.

Again the domino effect! And it all starts with YOU! ( Thank you!)

Google uses caged free eggs only

2007-02-24T12:09:00.000-08:00

The engineers at Google clearly know that eating free range eggs are healthier - the people working at Google decided during 2006 to use only cage-free eggs in all employee dining facilities.

See detail article here.

Do Google have a job opening for me?

Cruel Christian Monk Egg Farmers in the USA

2007-02-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

Some disturbing video from Peta.

Cruel, inhumane and unchristian egg farmers; 4 Hens in 1 cage. Hens forced to fast - fasting is for humans - not animals! Chickens suffering at the hands that serves Christ.

Where are you? Please help! PG P 16

2007-02-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

Viral campaign people - click here!

2007-02-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

You got an email today? Congratulations! You are part of a South African viral campaign. Click on the video and then forward this link to your friends via email.

Save the battery hen in South Africa

2007-02-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

You as an individual can save the fate of the battery hen in South Africa. Read the information on this blog and then act with your heart.

On this blog you will find information on:

1. Inhumane conditions of battery hens and chickens.
2. How you can change their situation to humane egg farming.
3. Inhumane conditions of the broiler chickens (for your dinner table).
4. How you can change their situation to humane chicken meat farming.
5. How you can make a difference to their lives by using your purse.
6. How you can anonymously prosecute the offenders by using you purse and not buying these eggs and chicken meat.
7. How to ask for organic free range eggs and organic free range chicken meat at supermarkets.
8. Facts about stress hormones in battery hen eggs and why it is bad for your children to eat it.
9. The link between avian bird flu and caged or battery hen farming.
10. Love and compassion for food producing animals.

We love you for taking the time to tackle this subject.

There is only one person that can change this industry and that is you, the consumer and the power of your purse!

Buy organic free range and make South Africa a less violent place for hens and chickens.

Who are we again?

2007-02-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

We are a protestor organisation based in South Africa. We want to stop fellow South Africans supporting:

Caged hens kept in cages the size of an A4 paper being forced to lay eggs 16 hours a day.
Broiler chickens kept in cages the size of an A4 paper being force fed and slaughtered within 40 days.

We call ourselves "Mothers-for-Hens" and our aim is to educate the consumer in buying only organic, free range eggs and chickens.

Since these chicks were bred without the comfort and protection of their mothers, we have decided to be their "mothers" and fight for their humane treatment.

We don't necessarily want you to stop eating chickens or eggs - we just want you to eat organic free range eggs and chickens.

Scientific proof - caged hen eggs are bad for you!

2007-02-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

People who are buying caged hen eggs are feeding their family eggs that contain less nutritional value and contain "extensive ummunisuppression stress hormones".

Read the following paragraph:

Chickens placed in overcrowded enclosures develop, over time, "increased adrenal weight"—a swelling growth of the glands that produce stress hormones like adrenaline—while, at the same time, experiencing "regression of lymphatic organs," a shriveling of the organs of the immune system.(48) This is thought to demonstrate a metabolic trade-off in which energies invested in host defense are diverted by the stress response,(49) which can result in "extensive immunosuppression."(50) Europe's Scientific Veterinary Committee reported that one reason Europe is phasing out battery cages for egg-laying hens is that evidence suggests caged chickens may have higher rates of infections "as the stresses from being caged compromise immune function."(51)

Here is the detail link to the article:

http://www.hsus.org/farm/resources/research/pubhealth/public_health_avian_influenza.html

Even if you don't care about the humane treatment of hens, surely you care about NOT feeding your children eggs containing "stress hormones"?

What can you do?

2007-02-20T23:14:00.000-08:00

You might think you are insignificant - just a working woman or mom juggling work, kids and husband. You are totally wrong! You are significant - you hold the purse and you decide where to buy your groceries and what to buy. Your husband might make other significant decisions, but you are the person in the household that actually get in the car and go and buy the groceries.

You can help change this industry in 2 easy steps:

1. Buy organic free range eggs.

2. If the store do not stock these product, go to Woolworths for your eggs AND use this sample letter to send to the store manager.

This letter is a sample and you can use it as many times as you
like. This is a formal letter that you can take to your store
manager or you can email it to the different stores.

Attention: The Store Manager
(Add Shop name here)

RE: Organic Free Range Eggs

I was shopping at your store (add location here) and notice that
you do not sell organic free range eggs. I would like you to source
organic free range eggs for sale.

I noticed that Woolworths adhere to the animal welfare policy and
the 5 freedoms internationally accepted as the basis for the
ethical and humane treatment of animals.

These are:

* Freedom from fear and distress
* Freedom from hunger and thirst
* Freedom from discomfort
* Freedom from pain, injury and disease
* Freedom to express normal behavior

I would like to buy organic free-range eggs laid by hens that
roam freely outdoors in the day and snuggle up in their barn at
night.

If Woolworths can sell only organic free range eggs to South
Africans, why can't you as well?

I hope that you will do your best to accommodate me in this regard
and I look forward to buying organic free range eggs from your shop
during my next visit.

Kind regards,

(Your name / you can also not disclose your name)

Woolworths is a WINNER!

2007-02-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

This is the statement from Woolworths: (If they can do it - all the others can too?)
All our eggs are laid by hens that are not kept in cages

In 2004, we were the first and are still the only South African retailer to declare the following statement: we only sell eggs laid by hens that are not kept in cages. (barn eggs and free range eggs).

In October 2006, we will only be selling eggs that come from free range hens NOT barns hens. (free range eggs only).

The Woolworths animal welfare policy adheres to the 5 freedoms internationally accepted as the basis for the ethical and humane treatment of animals. These are:

Freedom from fear and distress
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury and disease
Freedom to express normal behaviour

Woolworths free-range eggs are laid by hens that roam freely outdoors in the day and snuggle up in their barn at night. They are fed a vegetarian diet of grains and pulses with no animal by-products or fishmeal. The diet of the omega-3 free range chickens is enriched with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and organic selenium. Omega-3 fatty acids are not naturally produced by the human body so it's essential for us to include them as part of balanced diet. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that also protects the omega-3 fats. Selenium is vital to the neutral "detox" process in the body and acts as an anti-oxidant which neutralises harmful free radicals. Organic free range eggs are produced in conditions audited by Ecocert, international monitoring body, to ensure that international organic farming practices are followed. These hens feed freely on an organically certified wheat-based vegetarian diet that contains no animal by-products or fishmeal. The yolks of the organics eggs are naturally paler due to the wheat�based diet.

The Woolworths Difference is evident in its supply of selected, unsoiled Grade 1 eggs that have been freshly laid in nesting boxes. Each egg (except omega-3 and organic eggs) carries its own sell-by date on the shell in food grade ink. This is your guarantee of quality, traceability and optimum freshness.

Egg Facts (can be used - did you know):

Eggs contain lots of nutrients including all essential amino (the building blocks protein).
Eggs contain choline, an essential nutrient that plays an important role in the brain function and may contribute to brain development in the foetus and the newborn, and may also play a role in memory function throughout our lives.

Woolworths get double thumbs up!

Shop, shop, shop

2007-02-19T10:04:00.000-08:00

We as woman like to shop. We have good quality purses, with loads of cards. How odd it is then than South Africa has 52 % female population and yet, we still look at men to govern and think for us?

Did you know that during 1994 when a new government was elected there was only 1 restroom available for females in the Parliament? There were loads of restrooms available for male members of Parliament. President Mandela changed this by appointing almost as many female MP's as male MP's and the very first thing the new government had to do was... to change the male restrooms to female restrooms!

Since then a lot of things has changed for the betterment of woman.

Why not help another "woman" - our battery hen child?

The poor baby that need to stand on a A4 size wire mesh and lay one egg after the other, getting totally calcium depleted (most calcium is used in the manufacturing of the egg shell) and not getting enough rest (the lights are on 16 hours per day - hens lay eggs when lights are on because their biological clock tell them it is still day)!

Shop for organic free range eggs. You hold the power. It is your purse!

Prosecute with your purse

2007-02-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

You as mother of a household are primarily responsible for purchasing groceries for your family. Why not be the "mother - for - hens" by showing compassion and buying ONLY organic, free range eggs and chicken meat.

If it is not on the shelves of the shop you are buying, go to the manager of the store and ask him where the organic free range eggs and meat are. If they do not stock these items, ask him politely when he is sourcing it.

We greatly depend on your eyes and ears and... your mothering instinct. Please email us the store name, location and items not sold and we will gladly follow it up with an email to them as well. Even better if you have a name of a store manager, but not crucial.

You as a mother and shopper / consumer holds the key to change in this country. We love you for going the extra mile and showing your concern.

Buy free range organic eggs and chicken meat! We call this PROSECUTION BY USING YOUR PURSE...and it feels really good!

All emails to: mfh@hushmail.com

How many chickens are we talking about in South Africa?

2007-02-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

How many chickens are abused in South Africa?

The poultry and egg industry annually produces in excess of 800,000 tons of broilers and 300,000 tons of eggs. That is 12 million chickens per week living in inhumane conditions - standing on a A4 sized paper for almost 40 days.

Info from this site: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/671/south-africa-poultry-and-products-annual-2006

So what is "organic free range"? Some definitions...

2007-02-19T06:21:00.000-08:00

CHICKENS

Conventional : Up to 40,000 birds kept under artificial light in a closed shed. They are bred to reach slaughter weight within about 40 days. They can be treated with antibiotics on veterinary advice and are routinely vaccinated. The cheapest table birds.

Free range : Must have access to open-air runs that are covered with grass or other vegetation. Feed must contain at least 70% cereals. They can be given chemically treated feed and be treated with drugs.

Free-range corn-fed : Reared as free range but are fed at least 50% maize, which gives the meat a golden colour.

Organic : Chickens that have access to open-air runs and, where possible, are given 100% organic feed. Use of antibiotics and vaccinations is not meant to be allowed and they are kept in smaller flocks. They are the most expensive table chickens.

EGGS

Caged hens : Kept in closed sheds with a floor space equivalent to an A4 piece of paper. More than 60% of the ZA's 30m hens are housed in the battery cage system.

Barn hens : Kept in loose flocks confined within a shed. They are provided with perches, nest boxes and litter areas. Animal welfare groups compare conditions to a “crowded football terrace”.

Free range : Kept in large sheds in flocks of up to 16,000. The birds have access to open-air range, may be “beak-trimmed” and can have chemically treated feed.

Organic : Smaller flocks of up to 2,000 and should have access to open-air runs. They should be fed 100% organic feed, not be beak-trimmed or given routine vaccinations.

Who are we?

2007-02-19T06:11:00.000-08:00

We are a protestor organisation based in South Africa. We want to stop fellow South Africans supporting:

Caged hens kept in cages the size of an A4 paper being forced to lay eggs 16 hours a day.
Broiler chickens kept in cages the size of an A4 paper being force fed and slaughtered within 40 days.