Egg on their face?

I buy cage-free eggs. Will I eat an egg when I know nothing of its mother's well-being? Yes, I will. But I've seen the film clips about how large-scale egg farms work and it makes me queasy. I don't even particularly relate to chickens (I'm more of a mammal gal), but it seems like an easy call. Give the chickens a better life, they produce their eggs in a relatively happy state, it's a win-win. I'd like one soft-boiled with a lot of salt and butter, please.

The American Egg Board has revived its “Incredible Edible Egg” campaign—at the same time that The Humane Society of the United States is spearheading a nationwide movement away from some of the egg industry’s animal abuse.

Numerous companies, schools, and even local governments are opposing the cruel confinement of egg-laying hens in small, wire “battery cages” on factory farms. These operations confine birds in cages so tiny that they cannot even walk or spread their wings.

“Most ‘Incredible Edible Eggs’ still come from birds in incredibly cruel cages,” commented Paul Shapiro, senior director of The HSUS’ factory farming campaign. “But fortunately there’s now a snowballing movement away from some of the industry’s most incredible cruelty, and we call on the American Egg Board to help move the industry away from battery cage confinement.”

Wolfgang Puck is ending the use of eggs from caged hens. Burger King is starting to move away from cage eggs. Grocery chains such as Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace have stopped selling cage eggs. Major food service companies such as Bon Appétit are ending their use of cage eggs. More than 150 colleges and universities have implemented cage-free egg policies.

  Facts

--U.S. factory farms confine about 280 million hens in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can’t even spread their wings. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live. The European Union has banned barren battery cages, effective 2012.
--Cage-free hens generally have 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens. While cage free hens may not be able to go outside, they are able to walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests—all behaviors permanently denied to hens confined in battery cages.

Timeline

--August 2007—The HSUS begins to publicly call on Wendy’s to stop lagging behind Burger King and move away from the use of eggs from caged hens.
--March 2007—Burger King announces that it has started phasing in the use of cage-free eggs.
--March 2007—Wolfgang Puck announces the implementation of a wide-ranging program to improve animal welfare in his supply chain, including not using battery cage eggs.
--March 2007—Congressmembers Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) introduce the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act, which requires animal producers supplying federal programs with meat, dairy, and eggs to comply with a moderate set of animal welfare standards.
--September 2006— Ben & Jerry’s announces that it will phase out the use of eggs from caged hens in all its ice creams.
--May 2006—Google implements an exclusively cage-free egg policy for its employee dining facilities.
--May 2005—Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace announce that they have ended sales of eggs from caged hens.
--November 2003—The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading to label eggs from battery-caged hens as “Animal Care Certified.”

Comments

[muserella]

Thanks for the eggstravaganza!

[The Mouth]

Oh, Muserella, that's eggsactly the kind of comment I would have thought beneath you....

[erin]

I'm definitely all for cage-free eggs, but my problem is, how do you know they truly ARE cage free, unless you're buying them straight off the farm? I've heard that some products that are labeled as free-range, etc. are very misleading, because the process isn't regulated very well.
It is kind of sad to watch a truck barreling down the highway with hundreds and hundreds of cages full of squished chickens crammed together.

[Aly]

EggLabels.com is a great resource for learning what different labels mean. People who care about animals should not support the cruel practice of caging birds in spaces so small they can hardly move for their entire lives.

[Phyllis]

Why not buy the humane eggs since it's just as easy now a days to buy non-caged hen eggs as caged. Just knowing you have made a moral choice should make the egg taste even better.

[Robin]

I was not a bird person. All of a sudden this year I feed ducks, doves and find myself calling my city council to vote for cage free hens! Now that I have read and learned what hens need as far as dusting and preening, I feel guilty what we Americans have put them through for so long. Cramming them into cages, expecting them to produce an egg a day with no room to squat - I love poached personally, no butter no salt, but geez, give them room to stretch their wings and cluck a little, they do so much for us every morning. I hope all of the farms across the country slowly but surely GET IT - we Americans want CAGE FREE. period end of story. no pain. more gain.

[Diane Faith Lamont]

I find that 80% of the people today have absolutey no interaction with farm animals or wild animals and are even afraid of them - to know an animal of any kind personally is to be liberated from the misery of this world and they continue to entertain and delight me to no end. Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise him ALL creatures here below.

[The Mouth]

Aly, thanks for that Egglabels.com suggestion. I agree with all you recent posts (Robin, Diane and Phyllis)--why not buy cage-free eggs? One less thing to have a guilty conscience about for us omnivores...

[deano]

Cage-free is without a doubt better than caged, but still for some it isn't enough. The Hens beaks are still cut-off, and the male chicks (useless to the egg industry) are gassed or discarded alive at birth. There are however alternatives; For eggs used in baking, Ener-G (http://www.ener-g.com) makes a product called egg-replacer, it's available in most health food stores. You can also use applesauce, or a banana. And Instead of Scrambled eggs, a nice tofu-scramble is a cruelty-free option. Tofu can also be used in other dishes such as quiches, pies. Visit www.vegweb.com for over 3000 cruelty free recipes!

[The Mouth]

Whaa? The male chicks are "discarded alive"? Deano, where do I find out more about this?!

[Karin]

Thanks Deano for those suggestions! I don't think people realize how easy it is to go eggless. I am big into baking and am constantly amazing people with how good my treats are without using eggs! AND IT IS SO EASY!! I definitely suggest www.vegweb.com for tons of egg-free (cruelty free!) recipes. This is such a small thing you can change in your lifestyle that will seriously change the quality of the lives for countless hens.

[deano]

more info:

http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/chicken.html

[Kayla]

This is a great article! Thanks so much for bring animal cruelty into the forefront. People need to realize that there's a better way to treat animals, and still satisfy their want for eggs. Great piece! Thanks!

-Concerned Animal Lover and vegetarian

[Shannon]

I always appreciate seeing articles that heighten awareness, especially regarding animal suffering. Since animals have no voice of their own, it is crucial to advocate on their behalf and to educate others on this often silent issue. Thank you for ensuring that cruelty to hens does not go unnoticed!

[Jodi]

It's sad that the food animal industry is in the interest of keeping how they treat animals hidden. I think if most people found out about this they would not support it. People can go to www.chooseveg.com to learn more and also www.vegtampabay.com for local resources! Thanks for the great article!

[Judy]

I currently buy what is labeled ‘free-range eggs', but am beginning to question whether or not that title is really accurate. I am not sure how closely controlled this practice is … I believe that I am an educated consumer and do find an awful lot of advertising very misleading. Without question, I am in favor of cage-free eggs!!! My dilemma is: How can we be sure that the eggs really cage free?!?

[Laura]

I agree with Deano. Getting corporations to go cage-free is only the first step. There are so many humane alternatives to animal products that taste great!

[Lisa]

Cage-free is the way to go!! There's a farm in Geneva where you can buy a dozen cage-free eggs for $2.50, so not only will you be helping the chickens, you'll also be helping a local farmer - a win-win!! Check the bulletin board at the Community Center for more information

Thank you! Well done, this is not an "easy" topic, and it's far from "over." (Sorry, couldn't resist.) We have a long way to go to create a kinder, more compassionate world, but each of us contributes to more kindness or more cruelty many times a day by the food choices we make.

It's not just the cages of the birds which concerns me, but the cages that humanity puts around the human heart. We have to separate ourselves from so much of our good core to support atrocious acts such as those committed every day on factory farms. There's no being neutral on this issue if we are alive and making choices about what we are eating. We either are part of the kinder solution or part of subsidizing the cruel factory farm industry.

Thank you for helping to think about this. YOU are definitely making a difference!

[Heather]

Thanks for this article. While cage free eggs are not cruelty free eggs, they are certainly better than eggs from hens in battery cages. Making humane, compassionate choices when we shop and eat can make a difference for animals. Check out www.humaneeating.org
for more information on reducing and replacing the animal products in your diet.

[Cyndi]

I am glad to see articles such as this one making it in to the mainstream American media. When we start thinking about and talking about the choices we make - then we can begin to make informed and educated choices. We can all make small changes which can impact factory farming in a big way. Let's keep it up everyone! Animals deserve better!!

[John]

Egg-laying hens confined in battery cages suffer every day. The Humane Society of the United States is helping to get city resolutions passed that oppose this abusive factory farming practice. Cage-free egg farms generally provide egg-laying hens with a higher level of welfare than battery cage facilities. As pointed out in earlier comments, there are many great substitutes for eggs. The web sites mentioned in earlier postings are excellent resources to educate oneself on the horrible cruelties that egg-laying hens endure and the many great tasting alternatives to eggs that are cruelty free. Thank you.