BDutch's bantam flock & natural breeding projects #5 🪺 🪺 and #6

[Skyeknight]

this was the Guardian article I originally posted a link to
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...mal-feed-could-harm-human-health-experts-warn

"The source or sources of PFAS in home-produced eggs are currentlyunknown. Research and consultancy firm Arcadis recently published a study in which various types of chicken feed, water, soil, bedding,mealworms, vitamins, medications, and earthworms were investigated as potential sources of PFAS in home-produced eggs from the region around Chemours (Arcadis, 2024). This study showed that earthworms might be a significant source of PFAS in the home-produced eggs. The authors noted, however, that it is unclear whether this is the only source of exposure. As part of the current study, a nationwide investigation is being conducted to gather more information about the possible source or sources of PFAS in home-produced eggs. Results are expected in the second half of 2025."

So feed is basically a big unknown at the moment. I am specifically searching for which feed was tested in the other study and I have found the following. I have translated it to English as that study was in Dutch.

"In addition, based on the results of the feed, there is little chance that, for example, the packaging of the feed is a relevant source."

"Previous studies (particularly one study in Denmark) show that PFAS can be present in chicken feed, especially feed that is used to get chickens to lay eggs. This comes from fish (meal) that is processed in it. The types of PFAS that were found in the studies correspond to the PFAS found in eggs in phase 1. However, fish (meal) is not listed as an ingredient on the packaging of the sampled feed. Based on this data, it is unclear whether this could be a source."

"In addition to regular food, hobby chickens are often also fed leftovers and other things from the garden. Lasters et al. (2022) found in their study that compared to eggs from commercial farms, eggs from chickens that were fed a lot of leftovers had higher PFOS and PFOA levels. This confirms the hypothesis of Zafeiraki et al. (2016) that this is a possible source. Furthermore, the study by Lasters et al. (2023) concludes that the concentrations of PFBA in home-grown vegetables were significantly correlated with the concentration in eggs from chickens that ate these vegetables. However, home-grown vegetables from the vegetable gardens in the Dordrecht region mainly contained PFOA and GenX and few PFOS and long-chain PFCAs (Van Bentum and Pancras, 2023)."

As far as I can see they haven't stated from which companies feed was tested specifically.

originally yes, but when industrial chicken sheds' poultry litter is included as an ingredient in cattle feed, and industrial chickens are the largest (by far) incubators of bird flu (because of the cramped conditions in which they live, and industrial chickens' genetic frailty), chicken poo containing the AI virus is going to get into cattle feed. On an industrial scale.

Wait are you saying that cattle in the USA are basically eating chicken dung? How is that even allowed. I get maybe using it as litter for cattle, since cattle farms already do a very good job at dividing the liquid from the dry dung and using that as litter again. But feeding animals rest products from other animals is banned in the EU for this very health hazard reason.

 

[Perris]

Wait are you saying that cattle in the USA are basically eating chicken dung?

yes. This is from the poultry industry (you will be able to find a lot more, by less invested sources, if you search a bit)
https://www.poultryworld.net/the-in...in-livestock-feed-comes-under-scrutiny-in-us/
The first published paper on it was from Finland, in the 1970s, if memory serves. It's been done since it seems.

 

[BDutch]

Is there a way for you to share that post? I would love to see it. There are 2 things to consider with a post like this. Firstly is it true at all and secondly is it representative of all welkoop and bio-ron organic feed. If we assume both to be true then it could imply 2 things:

I tried to find it- couldn’t. So I asked my husband if he could - couldn’t either. It can be a coincidence or not.

The feed that is not organic is sprayed with poisons and if poisons with PFAS where used they are in the feed too. If the feed comes from an area where the soil is contaminated with PFAS it’s in the feed too.

Its a known fact that Welkoop sells so called bee friendly plants like with lots of poisons. They have researched this for 5 years on a row and despite the publicity, it seems common practice Welkoop sells bee friendly plants to consumers with too much poisons this year too.

https://nos.nl/l/2564201
Can you auto translate the article?
The intro: Onion plants that insects like to sit on in the spring, such as lavender, butterfly shrubs, shrub daisies and bellflowers, appear to be full of pesticides in many cases. Research by the BNNVARA program Kassa showed that there were 27 types of pesticides in and on the spring bloomers.

I dont buy flowering plants from this Welkoop shop since I know they don’t care about poisons. Its is the only shop that has a complete range of gardening equipment and animal supplies near to where I live. So last time when I was short on mixed grains and it was too soon to buy 5 x 20 kg organic feed at the feed factory together with my neighbour , I bought a bag of mixed grains at the Welkoop shop. I don’t remember if it was organic, only sure it was GMO free.

 

[BDutch]

So feed is basically a big unknown at the moment. I am specifically searching for which feed was tested in the other study and I have found the following. I have translated it to English as that study was in Dutch.

A few suppliers have an online page where they claim their feed is good /as PFAS free as the feed that’s sold to the factory farmers. It doesn’t claim there is no PFAS in the feed, only that it’s tested and under the limit. There is no special info on organic.

https://www.kasperfaunafood.nl/nl/p...n-kasper-faunafood-is-alleszins-niet-de-bron/

Where I buy my feed from: https://www.arwebshop.nl/blog/post/alles-wat-je-moet-weten-over-pfas-in-eieren

Bio-Ron and Welkoop don’t have info about PFAS in their feed.

 

[Perris]

Hate to spoil your Wednesday but I have some bad news for you @BDutch : it appears that "ultra-processed plant-based foods are contaminated with higher levels of organophosphates, phthalates, and alternative plasticisers than their animal-based equivalents." https://foodservicefootprint.com/processed-nature-of-plant-based-proteins-creates-chemical-problem/ Research was done at the University of Antwerp. Maybe someone there has compared it to the contamination of eggs with PFAS?

 

[Molpet]

USA clothing mill polluted Free fertilizer on farm fields
https://www.ehn.org/tainted-fertili...gger-first-superfund-designation-for-farmland

 

[BDutch]

Hate to spoil your Wednesday but I have some bad news for you @BDutch : it appears that "ultra-processed plant-based foods are contaminated with higher levels of organophosphates, phthalates, and alternative plasticisers than their animal-based equivalents." https://foodservicefootprint.com/processed-nature-of-plant-based-proteins-creates-chemical-problem/ Research was done at the University of Antwerp. Maybe someone there has compared it to the contamination of eggs with PFAS?

Thanks for the warning. I definitely keep this in mind and try to convince my husband its much healthier to eat a variety of canned beans and make a tasty pot with it or make the veggie-burgers ourselves than the easy meat alternatives.

Yesterday I saw a tv program about cheesecake flavoured cookies, and other things like cheesecake beer.
One part of the program was about chemically produced wannabe cream cheese, the main ingredient for cheesecakes.
They can make it from refined oil. Adding some chemical cheesecake flavour almost lets it taste like the real thing.
The beer has nothing to do with cheesecake. It was an amber beer with chemical cheesecake flavour.

Can you autotranslate?
https://kro-ncrv.nl/programmas/keur...ijkt-onze-cheesecake-nog-wel-op-het-origineel

USA clothing mill polluted Free fertilizer on farm fields
https://www.ehn.org/tainted-fertili...gger-first-superfund-designation-for-farmland

I had a quick glimpse, but bc the EU laws are very different from the US laws on reuse and farming I didn’t read much of it.
In the Netherlands we have a similar problem with the so called green waste (veggies, fruits and garden waste) . We use special containers to collect this green waste. The recycling factory makes compost with it and consumers can pick up ready to use bags with recycled compost at the recycling station on special days.
Some farmers use(d?) it too. There was a lot of publicity when people discovered pieces of plastic in it. I never used it bc I know some people aren’t careful in separating and trowing away their green waste and other waste.

It was not hard to find an article : https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/amp/...metalen-blijkt-uit-steekproef-van-eenvandaag/
Auto-translate?
The intro:
Compost made from gft that you use in your garden may be contaminated with multiple toxic substances, according to research commissioned by EenVandaag. In researched compost, PFAS, remains of pesticides and heavy metals were found.

 

[RoyalChick]

Do you mean the focus on eggs?1 Or are you referring to microscopic in the article?2

1 ^^ Skyeknight
2 The sentence was auto translated a bit wrong.
The Dutch ‘microscopisch kleine plasticdeeltjes’ is not the same as ‘microscopic plastic particles’ . It should have been translated to: microscopically small plastic particles.

I meant why the focus on eggs. Everything I have read is that pretty much everything is contaminated. Water, milk, meat, fish, vegetables etc.
So I am questioning why they focus on backyard chicken eggs and not any other food product.
And I am deeply skeptical that commercial eggs are better because the chickens don’t touch soil. Do they filter the water for the commercial egg layers? I doubt it!
So either it is everywhere, in which case backyard eggs are likely no worse than anything else. Or it is only in certain places (like around factories that contaminate).
I have no idea but suspect everywhere is the truth.

 

[RoyalChick]

Hate to spoil your Wednesday but I have some bad news for you @BDutch : it appears that "ultra-processed plant-based foods are contaminated with higher levels of organophosphates, phthalates, and alternative plasticisers than their animal-based equivalents." https://foodservicefootprint.com/processed-nature-of-plant-based-proteins-creates-chemical-problem/ Research was done at the University of Antwerp. Maybe someone there has compared it to the contamination of eggs with PFAS?

I am roughly Shad’s age and I guess the same age as some others on this thread. At my age I feel that most of the damage to me from plastic and chemicals has been done. I lived through the golden age of plastic and at this stage I suspect I am barely biodegradable!
My motivation therefore is more about the future of the planet and to set an example to younger people that it is possible to live in a more sustainable way and in a way that is kinder to the species that help sustain us.
Therefore I will eat my hen’s eggs untested and with joy. I will not put time into finding out if they are ‘safe’. But I do put time into ensuring that I have little food waste (easy with chickens), that their manure goes to sustain new plant life, and that I buy as locally as I can without losing my joy in food.

And for that post I undoubtedly owe tax.

TAx: the sun lounger being used in the way it was intended!

 

[Perris]

At my age I feel that most of the damage to me from plastic and chemicals has been done.

ditto. I share your sentiments about the past, present and future.

I suspect every age has its burden to bear; my grandmother was of the generation that coined the phrase 'the best thing since sliced bread'. The chorleywood process was thought to be a wonderful thing. But when they were old, many of her generation suffered from diverticulitis, then blamed on the paucity of fibre in the supposedly wonderful invention of white sliced bread.

When I was a kid they put lead in petrol which was spewed out through exhausts at about the head level of a kid in a pushchair. And there was (tasty) lead paint on toys as well as woodwork. And we had DDT of course.

It all leads me to think that we are less fragile than those who want funding to do more research or are flogging remedies on toxins suppose.