I'm not buying that this is avian flu related. I think the avian flu outbreak really did happen a few years ago, and now these egg producers realize they can use the excuse every spring to gouge prices. Only egg prices have gone up, but not chicken meat? I know the explanation in the article is that they don't have to keep the meat chickens around for as long, but what does that matter? If a flu hits, it would just kill everything, right? It's not like human flus go around like "ah nuts, no, let's leave the young 'uns alone and only go for mature adults." If the avian flu is a current thing, why does it matter how long meat birds are around compared with egg birds? And while factory farm animals are more susceptible to disease if it gets in, how is it getting in if they never go outside? People might carry it in, sure, but I've heard that migratory birds are the main cause of the spread. In that case, why are only birds who are kept indoors all day every day getting sick and not chickens everywhere, including peoples' personal farms?
Maybe it's nothing but I don't trust anything anymore and an alarming number of "conspiracy theories" have turned out to be true. I don't think this particular one is so wild a theory.
I'm not buying that this is avian flu related. I think the avian flu outbreak really did happen a few years ago, and now these egg producers realize they can use the excuse every spring to gouge prices. Only egg prices have gone up, but not chicken meat? I know the explanation in the article is that they don't have to keep the meat chickens around for as long, but what does that matter? If a flu hits, it would just kill everything, right? It's not like human flus go around like "ah nuts, no, let's leave the young 'uns alone and only go for mature adults." If the avian flu is a current thing, why does it matter how long meat birds are around compared with egg birds? And while factory farm animals are more susceptible to disease if it gets in, how is it getting in if they never go outside? People might carry it in, sure, but I've heard that migratory birds are the main cause of the spread. In that case, why are only birds who are kept indoors all day every day getting sick and not chickens everywhere, including peoples' personal farms?
Maybe it's nothing but I don't trust anything anymore and an alarming number of "conspiracy theories" have turned out to be true. I don't think this particular one is so wild a theory.