There is a city push to get mums to buy "cage free" eggs.
A chook is a lovely animal; friendly, curious, lively. They do have limitations.
Because of the small body size, the alimentary canal is short. The stomach breaks down food, then nutrients are absorbed and there is moisture retention before the cloaca expels the dump.
Many chooks have salmonella present in the gut to assist liquefaction in such a short travel. Their heads point down for food (eyes scan above for hawks too)
In cage, the faeces fall below out of the way. Free range: the faeces fall on the ground where they look and scratch for food.
They can ingest faeces in the foraging.
Look at the brands and types affected in the current scare. Cage eggs are OK.
