Americans love their eggs, yet most are unaware of the cruel conditions that these eggs come from. The majority of eggs produced in the United States come from hens that spend their lives confined to battery cages. The Humane Society of the United States estimates around 280,000,000 hens live this way, and refers to these creatures as “Arguably the most abused animals in all agribusiness.”
Battery Cages
In order to maximize production, battery cages are stacked on top of each other from floor to ceiling in rows filling up entire warehouses. The cages are very small, roughly the size of a piece of paper, and made completely of wire. Multiple hens are confined to each cage, without enough room to stand, walk, spread their wings, or make a nest.
Health and behavioral problems run rampant due to the inhumane conditions these hens must endure. The cramped quarters push the hens against the wire bars causing cuts and bruises, as well as the loss of their feathers. Due to malnutrition and rough handling, many hens suffer from broken bones.
Frustrated and bored, hens resort to pecking at themselves and others. This behavior has lead to the popular practice of debeaking. Debeaking is a painful procedure that removes the ends of a hen’s beak with a hot blade, or with specialized machines for mass debeakings.
Cage Free Eggs
An alternative to battery cages is the cage free method of egg farming. With this type of egg farming, hens are still kept in over crowded warehouses, however they are not in cages. Hens in this environment are able to move around, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in a nest.
Hope on the Horizon
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden have already banned battery cages. The rest of the European Union plans on having them phased out by 2012. Thanks to voters in California, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act passed last fall making it a criminal offense to use battery cages after the initial phase out period is over.
Increased public demand has lead many restaurants, grocery stores, universities, and corporations to make the move to cage free eggs.
Many restaurants are implementing changes to switch from battery cage eggs to cage free. The most recent restaurant chain to join the cage free trend is Red Robin. They are following in the footsteps of Burger King, Burgerville, Carl’s Jr., Denny’s, Hardees, Quiznos, and Wendy’s.
How to Make a Difference
- Purchase only cage free eggs.
- Ask local markets to implement a cage free policy.
- Encourage restaurants to move to cage free eggs. Do not support those who will not.
- Take the Battery Cages pledge.
- Experiment with egg-free recipes.
Kelley Diekman - Kelley is an Environmental Science graduate from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. She works in the family business, sells real ...
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