Once again, the I-Team visits the egg farm. Several times over the years, we’ve shown you how the vast majority of eggs in this country are produced – in battery cages with six to eight hens crowded into a single, small cage. The animal rights group “Mercy for Animals” sent an investigator with a hidden camera to Norco Ranch in Menifee. The investigator got a job there for five weeks during August and September, and documented the conditions. In addition to the cramped cages, he saw sick and injured hens and workers twirling hens by their necks to kill them – what the president of the company told me today is a violation of company policy.
The undercover video is part of a pre-election push for Prop 2, the measure to improve conditions for farm animals. It targets battery cages for egg-laying hens, gestation crates for pigs, and veal crates for calves. Prop 2 would “prohibit the cruel confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs." You can read more on the Prop 2 campaign here, and information from the “No on Prop 2” camp here.
The undercover investigator kept a diary during his time at Norco Ranch. You can see it and more of his undercover video here.
Land O’ Lakes is the parent company of Moark LLC, which runs Norco Ranch. Moark President and CEO Craig Willardson told me the video doesn’t capture the entirety of the Norco Ranch operation – that the company has standards for the humane treatment of hens, and workers sign a code of conduct. Willardson is concerned about some of the issues raised by the video. He says he’s launching an investigation to see if employees should be terminated for what’s seen on the undercover video.
Willardson is surprised by one of the scenes in the video. The investigator found decaying carcasses of hens in cages with live chickens, still producing eggs for human consumption. But, the Moark president provided this document from the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health. An inspection – while the undercover investigator was there – showed “excellent carcass disposal”.
Prop 2 is leading in the polls. A big advertising push by the Humane Society of the United States is helping. They also produced this amusing music video/cartoon.
Thanks to the channel 7 news team for reporting this story....I applaud your willingness to share this topic where others will not!
Oprah Winfrey has a similar show on today about factory farming methods.
How about the United Nations 375-page report on the negative effects factory farming has on the planet. Really!
Livestocks Long Shadow Report, 2006
or
watch suprememastertv.com to see more unreported news on the links between factory farming and global warming. This news has not hit the mainstream yet.
Once again, Good job Channel 7! More stories like these..
Posted by: scott | October 14, 2008 at 08:57 AM
Outstanding reporting on such an important issue that has been neglected for far too long. As caretakers of our planet, we as human beings cannot allow these horrid conditions to continue. Animals have a basic right for ethical treatment. Everyone needs to know about the unacceptable conditions animals survive in. We buy our packaged eggs, and meat without regard for
where it came from. Now we know and we must put a stop to this cruelty. Thanks again for your article.
Posted by: Sydni Moser | October 14, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Thank you for covering this issue! The more awareness the better.
Posted by: JT | October 19, 2008 at 01:36 AM