Think “cage-free egg farms are humane? Think again. Though the animal
welfare conditions are slightly better than on egg factory farms, “cage-free
farms leave much to be desired. Have a look:
1. Overcrowding
Instead of being confined to wire cages, hens at “cage-free” facilities
are often crowded by the thousands into dark sheds for nearly their entire
lives.
2. No Access to
Outdoors
Chickens raised in cage-free facilities are often denied access to the
outdoors like their battery-caged counterparts.
3. Painful
Mutilations Without Anesthesia
Many cage-free hens still undergo painful mutilations, such as having
the tips of their sensitive beaks seared off with a hot blade, without any
anesthesia.
4. Macerators
Male chicks are all considered worthless by the egg industry, and are
still killed, often by being ground
up alive in giant macerators.
5. Violent
Slaughter
When their egg production slows after a couple years, hens from
cage-free facilities will still be cruelly slaughtered for meat or gassed and
dumped in a landfill.
Don’t believe the egg industry’s hype. With the numerous egg alternatives
available today for all types of cooking and baking, consumers can easily drop
eggs from their diets in favor of a cruelty-free vegan lifestyle.