Why Can’t the Chicken Cross the Road?
Crack! The egg bursts onto the pan and shines like the sunrise. A familiar visual for many, eggs are an integral part of the American diet, but many of us don’t think twice about what kind of hens those eggs come from. In a recent New York Times article, and across the media, the discussion of caged hens has become an important debate.
Farmers with large egg farms (farms that house 4 million hens, yielding 3 million eggs per day) believe that caged chickens are just as functional as hens kept outside of cages. However, “extreme caging methods” are being banned in California and are up for review in Ohio, calling into question the factory farming methods that are used.
Many animal rights advocates believe that the lives of these caged chickens are subpar. They can hardly move, let alone roam free as they would in their natural habitat.
The debate is contentious, especially because eggs create a large portion of school lunches and 90% of eggs consumed by the American population come from these large farms. Is there a way to feed our population while still respecting the animals that provide for us? What do you think?
Comments
It is interesting that the question posed relates to being able to feed our population. Annual per capita egg consumption in the US has decreased from 380 in 1950 to 259 in 2007, so it seems to me that producing enough eggs isn't really the issue. Producing them with no regard for the animals is.
It is rare that eggs come from chickens that are raised with access to a yard where they can peck and scratch for their food, spread their wings, enjoy sunbathing (chickens love the sun) and nurture their young. Most egg-laying chickens raised in this country are either caged, "cage-free or "free range," labels that allow consumers to feel better about the eggs they're buying with little regard for the humane treatment of the chickens.
Chickens raised on factory farms, regardless of the labels, are "debeaked," a painful mutilation that is done because chickens deprived of their natural pecking instinct will peck each other in crowded conditions. Chicks destined for egg-producing must be female, so male chicks are trashed - discarded alive into large bins only to suffocate to death.
"Cage-free" simply means that the chickens are not squeezed into small wire cages. The never go outside. They don't peck and scratch, can barely spread their wings because of overcrowding, never see the sun, and never get to raise their young.
"Free Range" is not much better than that. The only requirement that accompanies this label is that the chickens have access to the outdoors. This can be one small door in a huge shed that is opened for 5 minutes a day. Considering that the shed is the size of a football field (or larger) and that the chickens in the shed are so crowded you can't even see the floor, it is unlikely that they ever even notice that the door is open. Those that do make it outdoors may find nothing more than a mudyard saturated with manure.
Animals, including chickens, raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are fed in ways that are totally unnatural. Because of the confined conditions, their feed is laced with antibiotics (more than 70% of antibiotics produced are used in animal feed), which threatens public health because of antibiotic resistance. Their feed also contains "animal protein," in the form of rendered animal parts that can come from roadkill, diseased animals, euthanized pets, skin, hair, feathers... you name it. Plastic is often added to animal feed for "roughage." Another ingredient is animal waste or irradiated sewage. This is a far cry from the diet chickens eat in nature.
So in answer to the question, "Is there a way to feed our population while still respecting the animals that provide for us?" ... Sure! Adopt a plant-based diet. If that's too drastic, know where your animal products are coming from. Visit the farms that produce the eggs and see for yourself.
Just eat less when it costs more. In the end you will be healthier, leaner, and all is good!!!!