that is interesting. I had a friend who kept chickens in a yard - it was outdoors, and there was a dedicated chicken coop. The birds had a lot of room to roam. She never had issues with chickens breaking their eggs... the issues she had were with coyotes (she lived in the country) trying to get into the chicken's yard, and hawks. She solved this problem by getting a Great Pyrenees.

Since "once upon a time" most farm wives kept a few chickens in an outdoor coop like this, I am sure that they found solutions to problems like the ones you've mentioned.

I have a really hard time with the way most farm animals are treated. I think it used to be more humane when people were more in touch with nature themselves. While I realize money is important, it's not everything. Profit should not come at the expense of kindness and decency. I personally would rather make less money but do the right thing and not cause suffering.