The 1500 people are just the ones we know of. These conditions have existed for years. However, a few people falling ill here and there doesn't make the news.

I'm sure these facilities have sickened many thousands over the years.

Because we wanted "a smaller govmt." and have had an effort to dismantle regulations for the last 30 years - there are hardly any inspectors left. If there were an oversight board it would be peopled with folks from the industry.

It's not the governments fault (this time) It's the fault of giant factory farms.

Chicken raising wasn't a business, it was MY business. I raised MY hens, and ate MY own eggs. But when supermarkets came people let other people handle (or mishandle) their food. We don't have to go back to home grown eggs. But what we need is not larger government but small, locally owned farms.

JWhite: Perhaps there are parallels in what you state such as turning education over to schools without parents continuing to make sure their children are educated;best we consider getting back to basics and retaining the knowledge we all need to provide for our selves & community.

What were Rush and Beck doing at egg farms?

jwhite: It's most certainly is the government's fault for not inspecting and enforcing the laws they enact to keep the food supply safe!

All this BS about making sure we cook food -- especially chicken & eggs -- thoroughly is just that, BS. Why should the consumer be responsible for the safety of the food they purchase? It should be the responsibility of the people who raise the animals and process them before the meat ever reaches our homes!

Agribusiness and factory farming suck! These are living, breathing creatures that are being treated like commodities.

Small farms are the best way, imo, to go. I know they're not all perfect, but at least most small farmers take better care of their animals if only for the simple reason that they have more to loose if they don't. And if something goes wrong on a small farm, it's much more easily contained than it is on the factory farms where disease spreads like wildfire.

In so many ways it makes more sense. And it's better to offer more people better livings than having all the profit going into the greedy pockets of a few corporations.

Congress won't give the FDA (government) the authority to shut anyone down or to even issue a recall. It's all voluntary by "Business". BECAUSE Congress and Business are synonyms.

While I agree with many of your points, I do think there needs to be SOME personal responsibility; eating unpasteurized raw eggs is never as safe as eating cooked eggs and we do need to remember that. Personal responsibility is something that has really gone by the wayside. I'm SO sick of hearing adults say things like 'well if my boss/the government/my spouse/etc. doesn't want me to go agains the rules/the law/an agreement we made/etc. it was up to him/her/them to stop me!' How about accepting some responsibility for our own actions?!?

But yes, we should be able to purchase food with the understanding that safe handling and preparation will keep it fit for consumption.

How is this salmonella outbreak surprising when practically all the people in the FDA, whom should be monitoring these factory farms, worked in the industry and still benefit from their profits? I'm surprised americans aren't pissed about this by now and have no problem with salmonella outbreaks happening all the time.

In regards to regulations; it is my understanding that a new set of regs for checking for salmonella were implemented sometime ago (Half to one year). DeCoster took it right to the limit date of June. Ironic that the batches of eggs contaminated occurred starting around March.

Hi, Dave!

What were Rush and Beck doing at egg farms?

That's pretty funny, libtard. I was about to say the same about Kieth Olberwoman, Rachel Maddow, and Chris Matthews.

You know, the DemoRATs of DNC main stream media bed wetting left wing media.

Some of the smaller producers voluntarily vaccinate for Salmonella. The result has been no incidents. This operator having been charged in the past with violations, should lose licensing to operate in the market.

The operators whom do know how to produce a safe food should replace the vacuum left by these operators absence. Simple solutions for complex and potentially life threatening conditions.

Have you foodies ever been to a real farm? Chicken coops have almost all of these characteristics.

As to the vaccine, it doesn't prevent anything caused by poor sanitation stop confusing the two, shees.

Untrue gunter, this farm was inspected. The problem is that this government agency is as corrupt as the MMS. I have worked at places with USDA inspectors on site all day long, and they either look the other way or will issue citations but never follow up with serious action. This isn't a problem with small government it is a problem with government not fulfilling it's responsibilities. By the way many facilities are allowed a certain amount of pests to actually be in the product they are selling. Pests like bugs and rats. No joke... mmmmm....pass the ketchup please. Maybe slightly less corrupt than the FDA though. Look for the cause of the disease not the symptoms of it.

Yes, Chris.

All my food comes from farms. Where I get my poultry and eggs, the farmer owns a small flock of 150 chickens, 20 ducks, 10 geese, and 20 turkeys.

However, because the birds are free-ranging (They are only returned to the coops at night, to protect from predators.) the vast majority of their food and their toileting is outside. Therefore, no rats and no large piles of crap.

Thanks for asking! :)

Wow! I just learned a whole lot from all these posts! Thank you all!

Guess I'll be getting myself some chickens, when I move to TN (in the country), next year!

Gunter....got data ? Just saying people like to make stuff up. Personally, I vote with my feet on corporate chicken farms. I don't tend to buy any chicken, or order chicken. I buy uncagged eggs. It is not really a sanitation thing with me. I just feel chickens should be able to act like chickens and they can't in most corporate farms. I want them to track their own stuff around...like I said...it's not about sanitation persay.

How about you...have you voted with your feet, or by conversation ?

More and more communities are allowing backyard chicken raising. Cedar Rapids here in Iowa just past a law allowing up to 6 birds for personal use.

I buy eggs from a coworker who has a dozen birds; I simply like the fresher brown eggs. When I upgrade to a house next year, hopefully the community has a liberal chicken policy. Good eatin'!

I am in total agreement with you. There was a clip on abc evening news showing a worker "twisting" a chicken then dropping her to the floor. The poor bird couldnt move, as the legs were wrapped around each other. Sad, bad people out there. May they rot in hell.

Not bad at all in some cases. I raise chickens (for meat and eggs), ducks (for meat and eggs) turkeys (for Thanksgiving), goats, pigs and an occasional lamb (getting a calf soon) and keep my pens clean and my compost pile full. My animals are fed high quality high protein feed with no antibiotics if at all possible and absolutely no hormones.

It is the growth hormones in the meats that have us getting all the cancers and making cancer very hard to fight. The hormones stay in the meat (beef, pork, eggs, chicken) and it passes on to us when we eat. These growth hormones encourage cancer cells to grow and actually offset some of the help derived from chemotherapy and radiation.

Changes in the rules have made it so easy for diseases to get passed through a meat or egg plant. Instead of stopping the line for a cut intestine that spews feces all over the carcass, and requiring that the contaminated meat be cut off, it is now just rinsed off; out of sight out of mind. When you are also using foreign workers who do not have the best hygienic habits to begin with, who do not wash their hands when they need to and do not really care about health rules any more than they care about immigration rules, then these are the results you are going to get.

However, illegal workers and altered USDA/FDA rules for cash defines the two major causes: Corrupt and inefficient government agencies and businesses trying to make the maximum profit possible, regardless of how they have to do it, including buying off government agencies and breaking laws.

What the hell does that have to do with anything? The OWNER is the one responsible for the unsanitary conditions. Because I know you are not going to say this is an immigration issue...

GTR5, typical idiocy

It's an illegal immigration issue in that employers who hire illegals are basically engaging in modern-day slavery. Who are they going to complain to about unsafe working conditions, unfair wages, abusive treatment, etc. when they have the constant threat of deportation hanging over their heads? Make guest worker passes easier to obtain and then people from other countries can come here and work, and once they've been processed through the system and paid the right taxes they can go to the right authorities if/when things go wrong.

Good point GTR5.

The employment of illegas in general is an unskilled, inexpensive exploited labor where opressive work conditions lead to health code violations and safety concerns for not just the employees but the general public as well.

If you do not see how employing illegals effects your food supply then you are the idiot - not the one who pointed it out. GTR5 was making a point - not a racist one --a real issue of concern that should be addressed.

GTR5

Are these egg producing plants still employing illegals? Where was ICE?

Joe Veteran

What the hell does that have to do with anything? The OWNER is the one responsible for the unsanitary conditions. Because I know you are not going to say this is an immigration issue...

what_the_81

GTR5, typical idiocy

Joe Veteran and what_the_81, in this case it is a very valid question. If you had read previous stories you would know that Wright farms had a big issue with hiring illegals in the past. Not only that but they were clearly taking advantage of the workers and in some cases letting them be sexually assaulted.

Aunt of 8, chipz, Lauren-1076120, oooohhh ok, if the company hadn't hired illegals there would have been no salmonella outbreak. This has nothing to do with:

1)How the FDA has dramatically reduced inspections of food processing plants in the past 20 years

2)There are only a handful of companies that do food processing compared to several decades ago.

3)How practically all the members in the FDA have worked in these plants and in some cases may still profit from them. The FDA practically works for the industry.

I agree that illegals shouldn't be working at these plants for the simple fact they are illegal but it's amazing how people never know the facts and accuse the wrong people.

a very ignorant person once said:

typical idiocy

Oh wait! That's one of your better quotes isn't it?

Since the shoe fits, why don't you take it out of your mouth and wear it!

Reading comprehension is apparently not one of your assets.

true true true

When the FDA has authorization to do so. They weren't able to anything like this until this past May

Sadly it makes no difference how many inspectors you put in the field. When it comes right down to it there will always be some politician or senior level manager appointed by a government official to keep an eye on those inspectors to make sure they aren't being too hard on the campaign contributing rich business owners.

You may even see insepctor reports kicked under the rug or swept away entirely - or just vanish while being processed at the office.

My personal favorite is an inspector being removed from their position for citing too many violations on the job.

This happens frequently especially at the state level where the governor appoints people in the agencies charged with protecting the environment and the public health.

Or you have inspectors that don't do their job. Remember the famous KFC/Taco Bell with the rats in NY? The previous day, it passed a health inspection.

The inspector was fired.

Please. The FDA and these giant corporations are all in bed together. The FDA doesn't give a rat's ass about food and drug safety. That's just a front. People have to take responsibility for their own health and safety. The sooner people realize the government and big business are NOT our friends, the safter they will be. Take the reigns people! Research where your food comes from and what's in it. Be proactive in wanting better for yourself and your food.

Well said Roberta. People better start to open their eyes because what you say isn't just conspiracy theory it is proven scientific facts. We are being poisoned.

I also do not understand why every house built is not equipped with solar/wind/generators and green house in order to become sovereign, self-sustained.

All homes and Apartment complexes should have the capacity to generate energy for its inhabitants. Many homes should have greenhouses too however that would require knowledge of farming to be successful.

I could care less about "solar/wind/generators" personally. I think the real conspiracy is how the chicken farmers have paid all of those lobbyists to go into congress and prevent them from putting food replicators in each and every house. All those chicken farmers care about is abusing their chickens and they know that if people could just replicate their own food, or even just scan it with a tricorder to ensure it is safe to eat, then they wouldn't have an excuse to keep millions of chickens in tiny cages. They have even gone so far as to destroy our nations natural reserves of dilithium (Dt) chrystals so that even if congress passed a bill allowing for food replicators, there would not be enough dilithium to power them. And that "isn't just conspiracy theory it is proven scientific facts."

What on Earth are "food replicators"? Sounds like science fiction nonsense.

Kind of a weird shot a sarcasm, but I get the reference, I think.

Roberta...Whew...so what are you proposing to feed the 300 million in the US, and 6 billion in our world ? I am not defending corp farms...and in fact don't buy chicken products (much) because I don't care for their conditions.

But....imo...most people want cheap food (as you say, like corporations, they care more for money, ps...so does everyone including the inspectors and gov't, and you).

You don't understand how everyhome is not self sufficient...are you kidding, it is because we are primarily lazy...and we have overpopulated the world and could no longer do that. I recommend reading Plan B, version 2.0...you might get a sense that having 6 billion people puts us where we are.

Do you mean walk around in the feces, with the flies and mice, eat the maggotts and lay their eggs in the dirt or grass? You have obviously never owned a chicken nor a farm. Maybe it's your mouth we should shut down.

I'm not saying that I want eggs with salmonella but eggs have always been a source of it and should be cooked. I would say that if all they could find were some mice, flies, and manuer on a chicken farm. They better just go back to Washington and turn in their badges.

i have a stupid question....why do they have to be caged at all? can't they just roam around on a farm? i don't understand.

Some farms DO raise free-range eggs; in fact, the only eggs we buy are labeled 'organic, vegetarian-fed cage-free and free-roaming' because 'cage-free' doesn't mean anything other than the chicken can stand up and turn around (some cage-free chickens are treated just fine but that's the minimum standard). Organic, vegetarian-fed, free-range eggs are the best option, even if they are a bit more expensive. Added bonus: there are fewer of these farms than any other type, so they're able to be regulated more closely (and I swear the eggs taste better than any other kind!).

They can "just roam around on a farm," it is just that it would be very difficult to produce a vast amount of eggs that way. Most of these "factory farms" as people call them produce millions of eggs a day. Typically everything is monitored in a way that causes the hens to produce just about one egg every 24 hours or so. Not just what they eat, but also how much light they get every day, as that also has an influence on how many eggs they lay. Most farms today must produce a cheap product in order to stay competitive in the world market. If they were to produce all of the eggs by simply letting the hens roam around, labor costs would add up and they would have to receive more money per egg in order to pay all of their employees. Local consumers may be willing to pay a little extra for their eggs, but food companies would rather import eggs from another country, even if it were just a couple cents cheaper. A lot of economics goes into the decisions that the companies make. Some may complain, but it all goes back to the saying, "a penny saved is a penny earned." The people running the companies are just in the position to save millions of pennies each and every day, and those pennies add up quickly.

I've seen some free range chickens and let me tell you they will eat anything including feces. I don't know that putting them in a cage is all that much cleaner but at least you can control their diet.

In Texas, on an organic dairy is a free-range egg production operation. The hens roam free in the cow pasture. Where do they get their nutrition? That's right - they pick at the cow patties for the pieces of grain that are not fully digested in passing through the cow. There is NOTHING wrong with this other than the perception that all you city folks have and unrealistic expectations about animals and the "wild kingdom". Rumor has it that the coyotes, wolves, foxes and dogs in the area of the farm have "gone organic" and never looked healthier.

Convention egg production protects the hens and provides them a nutritionally balanced diet.

Windsinger-factory laying hens are sitting in feces. Their rear ends are plastered with it. I grew up on a farm eating free range eggs and chickens. Most smaller chicken farmers in the Midwest are constantly cleaning their hen houses. The waste is loaded and taken a long way from the houses. Fresh straw or sometimes sawdust is laid down. Sure they will eat bugs but give them the best of food for laying hens and you get disease free eggs and chickens. Factory chickens are usually unable to walk as all they do is sit in their own waste everyday unable to move until they die and are thrown in a pile. Probably along with the mounds of feces therefore the maggots. I'll take wonderful tasting, free range egg anyday sunny side up. It's nature at it's best imho.

The Veterinary Department at the University of Missouri from a PhD in Vet Pathology states that chickens are scavengers that will eat whatever does not eat them. If in their scavenging, they pick up an organism containing salmonella, it will be passed onto the egg. And I quote, "It is much more likely that a range-free chicken will come into contact with salmonella than a caged, housed chicken."

Good information. Our state veterinarian gave us a thumbs up everytime he came. This was yrs. ago. Yes chickens are scavengers. We never got sick from anything we ate from the farm. And we ate a lot of eggs sunny side up with toast almost everyday. It's when I ate a bad fishburger from McDonalds I caught my first case of salmonella proven by the leftovers from mine and about 30 other people who got ill. It's nasty and hard to handle that bug I will admit. The first 3 days was horrible and it took almost 2 weeks to feel better. I humbly stick by my way of life eating free range eggs and chickens. I have just seen too many sickening things with caged layers. Seeing it is pitiful. But that's just mho. : )

The 'illegals' are only working at these operations because the people who run the operation keep hiring them. Instead of demonizing the workers, we should be holding the companies accountable. The bulk of the illegal immigrant problem is the fault of corporate America. It isn't fair to blame the immigrants who are being enticed to come here by greedy corporations who exploit the cheap labor to add to their bottom line.

See, if this had happened in Arizona, the owners would be subject to fines and jail time for their shameless use of illegal and cheap help.

Go Jan, you saucy little rabble rouser.

Jan Brewer for Prez.

Exactly what I said! These poor people are basically held hostage by these crooked bosses, so they're not going to report bad working conditions. It's not their fault, it's the fault of the evil jerks who employ them illegitimately.

Who said there were 'illegals' at these chicken farms? I don't recall there being any mention of workers in the article.

If people would just stick to the actual contents of these articles, things would be much better. And if all the complainers would practice what they preach, things would definitely be better world-wide!

I think I'm going to refrain from buying anymore eggs from these two companies. It's too bad that the government wouldn't make them take back the eggs that the other food companies are going to use in their products. Makes me want to refrain from buying anything with eggs in it for several months.

Critter-2280292

Who said there were 'illegals' at these chicken farms? I don't recall there being any mention of workers in the article.

If people would just stick to the actual contents of these articles, things would be much better. And if all the complainers would practice what they preach, things would definitely be better world-wide!

Some of us have read several of the previous articles here and heard other stories recounting all of the things Wright farm and its owner Austin "Jack" DeCoster has been fined for in the past. You might want to understand his track record as a "repeat offender" in several ways. Sometimes there are more facts than included in a single article.

Where do I start? 1) Illegals, how many of you want to work in an egg laying factory, or any other business that employs immigrants? Why do you think they come here? Because we are to lazy or to good for that kind of work, or we think they dont pay enough. If us fat lazy welfare state americans did the job there wouldnt be any illegals coming over to work (or not as many). So unless you want to work in the industries the've taken over shut your pie hole. 2) Unless you have lived on or near a farm you are clueless. Most of you would'nt eat anything if you seen how it was raised. Go raise all your own food & see how it works for you, most of you would starve to death.

Mike, A tad aggressive but I believe you make some valid points. Admittedly I haven't worked in the area since the 80's but when I worked construction in Texas I would take a crew of 5 so called illegals compared to a crew of 10 locals any day. I would get more productivity and no one complains or refuses to do certain tasks because they were "too hard" or "I don't get paid enough for this". These are real and common responses you would get on the locals crew that you would never hear from the so called illegals. As for the Fat Lazy Welfare comment I'll just let that one go but I believe it to be a bit extreme. As for the farm comment I think you hit fairly close. Unfortunately I think the reason they would starve to death is not from seeing how it was raised but because very few people realize how hard farming is and would not be willing to work that hard to eat. I must admit things have probabily changed since I was there but I think in some cases the locals brought it on themselfs with there work ethic and elevated self-worth. Sorry if this offends, just my observations.

Sometime when you want to breath ammonia all day, work on a chicken farm. Besides the one egg a day, these birds produce a lot of manure. Unfortunately, most of these farms do not use this valuable resource, which make an excellent (if smelly) fertilizer. Properly used, it also can be used to produce biogas (methane) which, in turn can be used to burn for heat, yielding steam electricity and various other products.

Few Americns realize to what extent egg industry is high tech. The egg emerging from the chicken is basically sterile and, if kept clean, is disease free, due to the evolved mechanisms of bacterial immunity. The industry regulates shell thickness (by controlling calcium intake) and yolk color (by fregulating carotenoid intake). The latter is important because Americans are choosy about what color yolk they eat.

The laying hen is not a mental giant and is not in pain or discontent in her small enclosure. In fact, given a comfortable temperature, clean water, and a nourishing diet, she is far better than most of her uncultured counterparts. I am sure if science would replace the hen as a producer of eggs, it would have done so by now. Consider, next time you buy a dozen, that those eggs have been rolled and slid from the collecting trough to a sizing screen, inspected for flaws, and boxed. If these operations were performed on the range, would you get clean eggs? Would you want eggs that hadn't been candled and inspected. Do you know that the blood network develops on the yolks of certain eggs (without fertilization) and these have to be removed?

Sure, these large farms should be inspected. In fact, they should have their own quality control inspectors and perhaps they will in the future. There is no excuse for the manure disposal system, which is based on years of experience by its designers, being allowed to back up. Flies, mice, even rats, need not be allowed into the chicken houses, but the company has to have responsible staff, able to spot problems and empowered to order repairs. Again, after this much publicized and expensive gaff, the bigger producers may devote some resources to cleaner operations and the USDA may pay more attention to egg producers.

Here in Chile, a dozen extra large eggs costs about $2.75, in white or brown shells. I have driven past the production farms but have never visited one.

Cinclo,

If these hen's lives were so great, why do they have to remove parts of their beaks to keep them from killing the other hens within reach?

They also feed them chemicals to force them to molt a certain times as well.

Do not try and kid everybody on this board, these animals are abused.

They can tell us how to rais our kids but can't protect us from these outbreaks!

Amazing!!!!

do we really NEED gov't regulations when it comes to farming? shouldn't the farmer know what is good and what isn't good for the animal? i mean come on! all you need is common sense and that seems to be lacking in most people these days!

Obviously not Slipps. These "farmers" could care less about you (NOT FARMERS corporate food producers). What part of greed don't you understand. They will not "regulate" themselves, Period. Regulate sounds like a limitation to these people.

there's no need to be harsh with me. i was just pointing out the obvious, which is, common sense and the lack of. that's all. i agree with you. money seems to be the problem here. it really is a shame, for everyone. especially the animals that fall prey to these corporations. i'd like to stuff those guys in a freakin cage!

Unless you have some data that the inspectors, county, state, and federal were cut and/or regulations were reduced you have no case. The government hasn't had any reductions in personnel in the last 20 years. Maybe a look into those responsible for ENFORCEMENT could get out into the field or onto the oil rig and do their jobs things like this might not happen. the farmer is of course wrong and culpable but where are the people we pay very handsomely to do this job? They come in in herds to slam the barn door shut after the horses are long gone!!

Actually, McDonalds is telling you how to raise your kids......

The government has virtually no power to inspect egg laying operations. The egg industry gives a lot of money to right politicians and they get what they want.

We have the FDA for a reason; food needs to meet a minimum safety standard before it can be sold, and rightly so. If we just placed all our trust in the farmers, we'd be at the mercy of some who cut corners to save money, churn out products faster, etc. at the expense of the quality and safety of their food products.

Sorry Slipps I meant no offense. I like your comment about "shoving them in cages." I for one am glad that I've been buying "cage free' eggs for awhile, before this fiasco.

Aunt of 8, your right, we do have the FDA, and we have the USDA, which also has regulation. The problem is they didn't have the authority to inspect these guys until about 3 months ago. No inspections=problems. Problems like what we have here. Everything had to be done after the fact, not preventatively.

--the "agency" (USDA and the FDA) had their budgets slashed by previous administrations.

That is one heck of a moniker Muh!!

Okay, let's shut them down and create a new agency. And who do you think will fill those positions just created? The members of the 'old' agency, that's who!

sue the owners for what??? the infection came from contaminated feed processed by someone else!!!! ya friggin moron...what is with all U people? it has been stated days ago that the farms were not responseble , it was from the feed they bought form others.......

did you read the article Tony? Read it again (maggots, rodents, manure in your food).

Tony,

It appears you have contaminated egg on your face....

delayne-u funny!

once again the idiots raise to the top of the slop bucket!!! only seeing and comprehending what they want to!!!! U idiots mke me laugh ...chickens are most likely the dirtiest filthiest things on the face of the earth they with crap and then turn right around and eat they own crap, peck each other to death, eat each other, hell they'll even peck themselves to death!!!! this is why they clip the beaks.......arizona please explain how this .....did you read the article Tony? Read it again (maggots, rodents, manure in your food).

all these items are present and accessable to free range chickens also!!! hell most eggs come out of the chicken streaked with manure!!!!

NO I have no egg on my face but U do!!LOL!!! U haven't a friggin clue

Hate to give you a dose of reality (No I really don't), but this has been going on for years.

it has NOTHING to do with the gov't Joe Veteran! it has to do with the farmer. why do you insist on blaming this on anyone else but the farmer himself? i'll bet if farms were run by women we'd have a much healthier outcome :-) can't wait to hear what you have to say about that!

Slipps surely U jest right???? some of the worst offenders in the puppymills and such are women!!!!

but we're not talking about puppymills here. we're talking about corporations, farming corporations.

Slipps, you're an idiot!

As long as we have corporate farms who don't care squat for anything other than the almighty dollar, then we need gov't regulation to ensure that they'll take food safety into consideration, 'cause they damn well aren't going to do it themselves.

So, yeah, we need the gov't to do its job 'cause the corporations ain't got no consciences.

Geez.

Slipps, what part of the fact that this was not a farmer running things don't you get. The was a corporation utilizing a production facility that was optimized in a manner for quanitity over quality. Your right, a real farmer wouldn't do this, this guy is not real farmer(both places are owned by the same guy), and this is not the first time his company(ies) have been busted for trying to optimize production in a manner that is neither safe for the animals, the workers, or the end consumers. So, quite referring to him as a farmer, your insulting real farmers.

Wren- so you're telling me that it's the governments fault? come on! my point is that they SHOULD be doing it themselves! why do we have to rely on the government to mandate things? it's ridiculous! i understand that this is how it works but it's not how it SHOULD be! when are people going to take responsibility for their actions? oh, by the way, i'm far from an idiot and i take offense to that. there's no reason to get personal here.

Slipps when U make the statement that if women ran these farms it would be different...just goes to show U what an idiot U really R!!!!! these types of farms R always going to be like this...and don't anyone come up with the crap that the chickens deserve better!!!! THEY DON"T HAVE A FRIGGIN CLUE!!!!!!!!

How dare we whine about people POISONING US.

Steve found something of medical value amongst the feces, dead chickens, feathers, and tamale wrappers.

That was an uncalled for remark. And by the way? People who are of Latino descent don't eat that crap they call tamales in grocery stores. They make it themselves. And where in this article is ONE reference to illegals?

One really can't blame one party or the other. This is about greed, not politics. There are good, and bad in each political party, but the bottom line is this is a case of greed, and laziness.

Joe Veteran; Sorry but the regulation of the egg industry is very political. As noted in my post above, the egg industry, through it's PAC's and it's lobbists.

I can hardly wait until you get e-coli from your organic veggies. Then you will really have a right to spout off.

Wifey and I cut out the middle man. Bought 4 laying hens and stuck them in my back yard, in a nice little coop. Fresh eggs daily, and I KNOW they come from healthy birds in clean surroundings. Not an option for all, but if you can.........

When these somalians came to earth why didn't it make the news? Are they friendly? Do they have 4 arms so they can work twice as fast?

HELL yes I'm making fun of this post....Somalians.....LOL!!!

Charley, were you going to say "chit happens?"

"Factory farms" are not real farms. They are places where animals are confined in cages; they can't move around and must live in their own excrement. Then they are killed and sent to places to be sold to the unsuspecting public.

What makes you think the unsuspecting public is unsuspecting? Perhaps they are uncaring as to how their dead food lived.

I would hope that some percentage of the public cares enough for those animals. They are mistreated and the unsanitary conditions obviously effect the quality of the products being sold.

I doubt that many posters here have been inside a large egg production facility. The chickens do not walk around in their own manure. If they did, they would get bumblefoot and other diseases (bad for production). While the cages are not surgically clean, the droppings do not puddle up as some are imagining. Some of you are more intelligent than chickens and probably would not like being caged in this manner, but these birds stop laying if they are stressed, or lay smaller eggs (bad for business), or get sick. Chickens are very water requiring and vulnerable to heat, so the company cannot maltreat them.

Now..Don't get me started on Purdue and Tyson.

I agree. We are the richest country in the world and we have to treat our farm animals in unthinkable ways just to save a dime. Shame shame shame on us. What goes around comes around.

What has McDonalds got to do with this? Were you saying that part of the problems is that they cook breakfast? McDonalds doesn't just buy from anyone. They have set standards and their food is cooked to meet specific standards. They, at least when we were connected with them. In the years my husband was with them, there was not a single food-borne illness at his stores. They were so above the standards of food handling that it just didn't happen.

Jake D. was just running off at the mouth (or pen). Fast food companies have to be extfremely careful about their products, so as not to acquire a bad rep. Lillie is right.

You are DUMP as they come were your food going from.

And the meat sold is not even real. They use chemicals to make the murdered animal's flesh taste good to the ignorant obese person that eats it. They never know how cruel and unsanitary the factory farms are.

Factory farms should be illegal.

Factory farming is the only way the entire worlds population will eventually be fed. Unles you are advocating sterilization of humans then the animals will always lose out. It's called a food chain for reason....

Sterilization of the humans sounds like a good idea but limited breeding is a good idea too. Factory farming is evil and it should be destroyed. Humans do not need to consume meat products anyway.