All Mr Clarke´s article suggests is that chickens may prefer shelter to the open. Well, you would in England, wouldn´t you? I mean, you don´t have to be a professor to work out that people (and animals) don´t like getting rained on (unless you´re a frog)!

I bet if chickens well spread out in a big thatched barn were compared to the free-range (big yard, tiny coop) or the batter hens, they´d come off better in the corticosterone stakes.

Do a bit more research??

Arjun Sen, Malaga, Spain

It would seem that the study only shows that it cannot be said there is a correlation between housing type and corticosterone levels in eggs.

Only if there was a *difference* would you be able to draw a conclusion that there may be a correlation. Would it not be better to do a behavioral study between the natural habitat of an ave species and the group confining of the birds in wire boxes where they have to debeak the birds to prevent them from cannabalistic behaviors - due to housing stress?

Are they serious about finding out if there is a difference. Since this researcher works ofr a Poultry Cooperative Research Centre designed to find ways to get more out of the birds for less cost, the conclusion reached that the birds have no preferrence for what is considered cruel would be in favour of the funding source....

Alistair Cornell, Adelaide, South Australia

Ross Clark pontificates on the two opposing egg production systems on the basis of his having observed one free range farm that undoubtedly was not a Soil Association one: smaller flock size and adequate pop holes ensure the birds do range. Some free range birds are now provided with woodland, which gives them overhead cover from predators in the sky, and the nightly chore of shutting them in the houses helps to protect them from foxes. Likening life for a hen .spending all her adult life in a space the size of an A4 sheet of paper to that of a human couch potato voluntarily shortening his life with junk food and lack of exercise is absurd. The hen does not ask to get osteoporosis or to be pecked by her cell mates - she has no choice. And anyone who knows anything about poultry knows they are not by nature idle, but busy themselves scratching the ground for tasty worms, insects and seeds. Ross likewise apparently thinks chatting to one pig farmer makes him an expert on pigs

Joyce H. Smith, Witney, UK

Hey that's great news, I'll get myself a life prison sentence, free board and lodging and guaranteed happiness.

graham lawrence, london, GB

Having lived in Spain for a while I can attest to dogs that are kept permanently on chains becoming psychotic.

You would not like to have your kid within reach of one.

The free range pigs down the road from me have a great time and even come to the fence for petting (OK, probably hoping for food).

I may not be a scientist but I can recognise a happy pig when I see one. Besides how did Mr Downing check for corticosterone? Grabbing the chicken and sticking a needle in?

Maybe that had something to with the high levels of corticosterone, both groups were totally freaked out at the time!

Martyn Millard, Calvia, spain

Unfortunately, chicken cages are not the equivalent of a small flat. If the proposed living quarters consisted of sharing a 7 x 7 room with a stranger for the rest of your life, never being allowed to leave (or even bathe) and with no TV or other entertainment, just you and your "cagemate" and the food, might that change your choice? It would for me. I'd rather take my chances at learning to fend for myself than go stark raving mad of boredom, regardless of how warm and well-fed I might be. People tend to forget that there's more to life than just being safe, healthy, warm, and well-fed. If there weren't, then we'd praise and emulate those people who keep their kids locked in closets. Instead, we charge them with child abuse. It's true we don't know what the chickens are thinking, but when we have to cut their beaks down to keep them from pecking each other, that tells me SOMETHING is wrong.

Wendy, Loveland, CO

Few of you actually bothered to read the article, didn't you? It simply states that "free" chickens aren't any less stressed than battery chickens. And then you all claim to know how a prey animal feels, even though humans are predators. You all must be psychic.

It's amazing to me that citizens of a country that produces some of the best wildlife documentaries displaying the behavior of wild predators can then turn around and call humans cruel. None of you must actually watch any of those documentaries. They make me grateful that I'm a predator, not prey.

Not one of you actually learned a thing, you are all so stuck in your own prejudices.

Jennifer Reding, San Jose, CA USA

When I was in Israel a volunteer decided to get revenge for his poor treatment on the kibbutz by releasing 30,000 chickens. So he opened all the doors of the chicken house in the hope that the kibbutz would be covered by escaped chickens. They just stayed in their places until the plot was discovered the next day.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

Is there any wonder we are suffering from cancers and other diseases like mad cow, foot and mouth to name a few. The unnatural way animals are bred due to greed are the chiief reasons everyone is suffering not just the animals but ultimately humans as well from either starvation or obesity. I dont think there is anything we can do, we have gone so far down the path of destruction of environment, health, and general well being of this planet. To confine these animals to such a terrible existence and then to justify it to clear one's conscience is more than despicable. Another cruel idea to ship live stock to those countries where they dont respect human lives let alone those of animals should be immediately stopped. Vegetarianism is a jolly good idea. Mind you we have spoilt the land as well in the way of pest control. Dont forget blrd ful, you cant win!!!

Virginia, Brisbane, Australia

These "findings" are worrying, I have 3 hens that free range all day, they cant wait to get out of the run and rummage around the garden.

Battery farms are cruel places, you only have to look at photos on www bhwt co uk to see for yourself, I also have friends who have rescued hens from these places, they have no feathers, they cant walk......It is totally unacceptable.

Karl Linley, Hull, East Yorkshire

A bit of conscientious brain activity that comes with being out in the risky outdoors is surely less stressful than sustaining damaged feathers, skin and fractured legs that come from cramped and highly mechanised battery conditions.

We might prefer the comfort of the couch but only because we have chosen to sit there. If someone stuck you in on a couch with ample supply of beer in a locked 5x5m cage, you might not be so content. Especially when you need to break the 'golden seal' and take a wee.

Why did the chicken cross the road? To find a nice spot to relieve himself.

Mark, Cardiff,

Living in a small flat would be bad enough,living in a small flat with 100 other people,not being able to walk to the other side of the room without treading in excrement, or having to walk on wire and the fridge food being full of antibiotics,and having a life span of ten weeks then to cap it all. Having my head ripped off whilst still alive,in a machine. Thats ok is it?

al clark, church stretton, u.k.

"how few of these liberated birds actually bother to venture out of doors: most choose to stay crammed in their sheds"
Interesting observation, but innaccurate. I keep four hens in my garden. They have a small house which provides them with slightly more space than battery hens. In it, there is a feeder and a waterer. Every morning at dawn all four hens bounce out of the house, and spend the day in the garden, returning to their "cozy flat" only to sleep and lay eggs.
The differences between this and the "free range" setup are fairly simple - this is a natural sized flock, with a space which is similar to their natural jungle homes. The commercial enterprise is a giant flock, in an environment which is not natural to chickens. Most jungle creatures find open spaces frightening, and huge flock often results in many birds being bullied as they try to leave.
A battery hen placed in a flock with a house in a garden will soon leave every morning, showing its own preference.

Sian Evans, Hawick,

The inhumane beef, pork, lamb, poultry and fishing industries are responsible for massive land, air and water pollution that exacerbate global warming. They also decimate marine and terrestrial ecosystems and biodiveristy. If the countless tons of grains, corn and soy that is wrongly used to fatten "mistreated" food animals were shipped to poor nations, we could end hunger. Food animal liberation would negate human starvation if we all embraced a vegetarian diet.

Brien Comerford, Glenview, United States

What a choice? Battery Cage with steroid chemical laced food, or stark naked in rain on concrete highway. ?? Is this what our Frankenstein Scientists are doing now -? have they run out of medical experiments in which they can torture every animal species known to man. Why don't they give the chicken a good choice, instead of two bad ones? FYI, we do know that chickens suffer emotionally and physically.

Zeke, Pebble Beach, FL

Both points of view seem to be anthropomorphic then. You are also wrong that all of us humans would prefer the lazy life. I wouldn't, and most people would get what is colloquially referred to as Cabin Fever.
I would suggest that the levels of the stress hormone naturally reduce once the creature is used to the situation, regardless of how harmful it is in other ways and to look solely at this factor is to delude ourselves.

I would have said that since hens can only be kept in battery cages by cutting their beaks off otherwise they peck one another to death, and that birds claws often grow round the wire and they may well have broken legs or wings when brought out, it is self-evident that it is not good for them. We might like to be in a cosy flat, but not with so many others that we couldn't even raise our arms or lie down flat.

Many people who have taken ex-battery chickens and rehabilitated them can tell how they enjoy the new life once they have got accustomed to it.

alexandria, Sheffield, UK

Wanton cruelty to animals is unacceptable in any civilized society, which is why the barbaic practice of shechitah should be forbidden outright. The practice of slaughtering animals according to antiquated cruel parctices to produce kosher meat is downright disgusting.
Instead of using the humane bolt pistol to stun the animal, it has it's neck slashed, spurting blood everywhere until the animal falls unconcious due to lack of blood. Meanwhile it's suffering must be terrible.
Bann kosher practice at once in the UK.

Robin Bather, metepec, mexico