Caught on Camera: Where ‘Cage-Free’ Eggs Really Come From
Does this sound like “cage-free” or “humane” to you?
- Hens ripping their own feathers out due to constant stress in filthy, crowded sheds
- A worker crushing a hen’s head in a gate
- Dead bodies stacked up in piles
Believe it or not, this is where “cage-free” eggs come from, and it was all exposed in PETA’s first-ever undercover investigation into cage-free egg operations in South Korea. Take a look:
Suffering Is Everywhere at ‘Cage-Free’ Egg Operations
PETA’s undercover investigators documented that thousands of chickens were crammed into dirty sheds at the facilities they visited, including one operation that claimed to be “animal welfare certified In addition to documenting that workers violently handled birds, crushing one hen’s neck with a gate, and that there were piles of hen carcasses in a shed at one facility, PETA’s investigators found many hens with large patches of missing feathers and raw, irritated skin on the egg farms. These painful red spots are caused by untreated health issues or hens who tear their own feathers out or fight with one another, usually due to living in a state of constant stress.
“Cage-free” labels mean nothing to hens. No matter how many facilities they toured, PETA’s investigators found suffering chickens at every single one. No facilities let the hens forage, bask in the sun, or engage in any other natural behaviors that make their lives fulfilling.
Every Chicken Is Someone
Chickens dream when they sleep and worry about the future, just as humans do. Mother hens begin teaching vocalizations to their chicks before they even hatch. Although chickens can live for more than 10 years, egg industry workers kill female chickens when their egg production slows down, usually after just one or two years—and male chicks are killed immediately after hatching.
‘Cage-Free’ Eggs Cause Suffering and Death
No label can make a fundamentally violent system humane, especially when tens of thousands of birds are packed wing to wing in dark, filthy sheds.
PETA’s investigation makes one thing unmistakably clear: The cruelty documented in these “cage-free” barns is the industry norm worldwide.
The only kind choice is to stop eating eggs. Spare chickens from misery and help create a food system rooted in compassion today!
