Photo credit:
woodleywonderworks, Flickr
"Cage-free" has no legal meaning but many egg farmers use it to distinguish their egg farming system from the more confined, and inhumane battery-age system. In battery-cages, the birds live crowded together as closely as possible. They can not flap their wings and have no room to so much as turn around. They lay their eggs where they stand. Most cage-free hens live in very large flocks and never go outside, but they have space to walk around, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests.
Cage-free does not mean cruelty free. Most cage-free farmers de-beak their hens and slaughter them before they are two years old. The chicks come from farming operations which kill millions of male chicks at birth. That said, cage-free egg production is a step in the right direction for the industry because cage-free hens are much better off than battery-cage hens.
Demand for cage-free eggs far out-paces supply. Among high profile wholesale consumers are Ben & Jerry's, Whole Foods, and Wolfgang Puck. It's been claimed that 2/3 of the cage-free eggs produced in the US are produced by American Humane Society certified operations.
Cage-free operations are not to be confused with "free range" and "free roaming" chickens. Cage-free chickens don't usually get outdoors, and generally live in crowded conditions. The difference in egg quality between battery-cage and cage-free is debatable, whereas the difference between organic or free-range eggs and cage-free is remarkable.
How to join the Canvolution
Add a comment