By Tom Polansek and Sybille de La Hamaide

CHICAGO/PARIS (Reuters] – Free-range and organic chickens were put under lockdown. According to industry reps and egg producers, chicken-laying hens who are used to being outdoors cannot roam free or experience the sun as much as they can when U.S. and European farms temporarily confine flocks indoors during deadly bird flu outbreaks.

It’s not surprising that egg-buyers are spending more on eggs because of the culling of infected birds. Speciality eggs are more expensive because they can be found in barns.

U.S. watchdogs insist that retailers and egg firms must inform customers more about keeping hens inside. The reason is to help shoppers keep track of their purchases in the face of record levels global food inflation. According to officials from the government, keeping birds in their homes is best for now because one case of bird flu can result in whole flocks being killed. Experts say that the virus could also infect people, but it is unlikely. According to Reuters checks on grocery stores, there are some shops in France that have ignored the requirement to give clear information about this mandate. France’s government temporarily ordered farmers to keep their chickens inside since November. Josephine Barit (34) said, “I didn’t know they had to keep inside,” and was a customer at a Paris small store. There were no signs that the hens might have been kept in confinement.

It’s no longer a ‘free zone’. She said. She said, “I think there’s no other option because of bird flu. But they could still say that.”

For consumers, it is safer to allow chickens outside as this will give them more freedom and provide some security when buying farm animal products. Because migratory birds can spread bird flu to poultry, veterinarians warn that outdoor-accessible chickens are more susceptible. Infected wild birds can cause illness in poultry, as well as their feathers and feces.

U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that poultry farmers be kept indoors as long as there is an HPAI outbreak. However, confinement is not necessary.

CUSTOMERS DISSATISFIED

With more than 35,000,000 birds decimated this year, the U.S. is currently in second place. France lost nearly 16 million birds to its worst-ever outbreak, with other nations like Britain and Italy also suffering from the infection.

Some consumers are dissatisfied with European chicken confinement requirements, even though retailers have posted signs informing customers.

    “At the end of the day you still pay the price of ‘free range’ or organic eggs when the fowls have actually never seen the sky,” said Marc Dossem, 52, a shopper who spoke in a large supermarket in Paris.

The EU and British standards for marketing allow free-range laying chickens to remain inside up to 16 weeks, before the company must give customers advisories.

Britain required that eggs from “free range” chickens be kept inside for them to be called “barn eggs.” However, farmers have been allowed to allow hens out again beginning in May.

In Spain, hens must be kept indoors in special risk and surveillance areas of the country, said Mar Fernández, Spanish head of the Interprofessional Organisation of Eggs and Egg Products. She stated that the hens have never been outside for over 16 weeks.

“There are countries that no longer have eggs from free-range hens available for months,” Fernández said.U.S. The agriculture department stated that organic egg producers are not required to change labels if unexpected circumstances like bird flu occur. Organic eggs must be from chickens that have had access to the outside in America.

MISSING THE SOUNSHINE

Pete and Gerry’s is one of the vendors that has banned outdoor access. The company claims it’s the largest U.S. producer and exporter organic, pasture-raised and free-range eggs. Kroger (NYSE / NASDAQ:) and Amazon.com Inc’s Whole Foods Market sell the eggs.

Gerry and Pete stated that “we will constantly evaluate the exposure risk” and would have their children out in the sunlight as soon as they can.

Vital Farms Inc., another American producer of pasture-raised egg, stated that it had to confine hens following outbreaks in Europe. Although both the producers provide information online regarding the change, their “free range” and “pasture-raised” labels are the same.

Kroger Whole Foods Target Corp (NYSE:) didn’t respond to queries about posting notices for customers. Danielle Melgar (a U.S. Public Interest Research Group food advocate) stated that consumers should receive what they paid for.

However, some European poultry producers resist orders to keep their birds in captivity despite all the dangers.

    “Laying hens can be quite aggressive so we let them out a little bit every day or they will kill each other,” said Emilie Ravalli, who runs an organic farm in Corcoue-sur-Logne in western France.

Gregory Martin, a Pennsylvania State University poultry scientist said that barns can be cozy and that chickens don’t always venture outside when it is possible.

    “Confinement gives us safety,” Martin said. Martin said, “Only eggs are produced by live birds so we have to make sure our birds stay safe.”