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Loading...New HSUS Video Reveals Shocking Animal Abuse from Nation’s Top Egg Producers
There is basic information about factory farming that everyone should know. You should know where your food is coming from. And you should know the livelihoods of the animals used to produce that food.
The good people over at The Humane Society of the United States just released brand new undercover investigation footage from inside the walls of four Iowa factory farms, owned by two of the country’s largest egg producers. The investigation took place in February and March, and uncovered unimaginable horrors at Rose Acre Farms and Rembrandt Enterprises — the second and third largest egg producers in the nation.
Here are just a handful of the egregious acts and deplorable conditions uncovered at the Rembrandt Enterprises factory farms:
- The wings, necks, legs and feet of hens entangled in cage wires.
- When slamming battery cage doors shut, workers would sometimes catch birds’ wings, legs and necks in the door, leading to broken bones.
- The HSUS investigator caught–on tape–hens with abscesses that caused their eyes to close and beaks and mouths to swell.
- The investigator discovered many dead hens who had clearly suffered uterine prolapses. One live hen’s prolapse actually became caught in the floor of her cage.
- Rather than euthanizing sick, injured and suffering hens, the animals were often returned to their cages.
- The HSUS investigator found hens stuck in manure pits—starving to death.
A few weeks ago I wrote about Subway moving towards phasing in cage-free eggs. Some of you responded, saying it’s not enough. And you’re right. In no way does cage-free mean cruelty-free. But let’s be realistic, folks, we have to start somewhere.
Cage-free hens certainly don’t get to frolic in wide-open, divinely green pastures, but life for these hens is a whole hell of a lot better than what I just described above. Cage laying hens are considered to be among the most grossly confined animals in all of agribusiness. Hens crammed into battery cages are not permitted to walk, spread their wings, or lay their eggs in nests—a trait innate of all hens and one that they heartbreakingly struggle to make happen even in their barren, wire steel cages, obviously to no avail.
While about 95 percent of egg-laying hens are forced to endure life in battery cages–which, on average, afford each bird less space than a single sheet of 8 X 11 inch paper to live in–cage-free hens generally have two to three times more space per bird. They may not be able to go outside, and they may still have parts of their beaks cut off without anesthetics, but cage-free hens are allowed to spread their wings, walk around, and lay their eggs in nests. And some are even provided perching and dust-bathing areas.
Again, cage-free is certainly not the end-all solution, but it’s a huge step in the right direction.
Please watch the video. I warn you, it is graphic and may be upsetting, but please, please watch. You need to know exactly where your food is coming from. And if you don’t want to commit to eliminating eggs from your diet, please do your best to buy cage-free eggs. The hens will thank you, I promise.
Do your part and promise to BUY CAGE-FREE!
Read more: animal abuse, animal cruelty, animal welfare, battery-cages, cage free hens, egg industry, factory farming, rembrandt enterprises, rose acre farms, the humane society of the united states, undercover investigation
photo credit: thanks to HSUS for use of the image
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Thank you.
Great article! Mr. Buffett is spot on here.
read and noted on 5-19-13 peace will happen when all of the hungry people around the world no longer…
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323 comments
+ add your ownLeah wrote : We really need to step away from anything produced by the HSUS. They are NOT what they appear to be.
http://www.missourifac.com/The_Animal_Rights_Agenda_3M.html
Leah, we are really all supposed to believe this unsupported crap from some Missouri group who believes that packing chickens into tiny cages is better for them because they won't panic and crush each other if they have some freedom to move? Garbage.
** also their eggs. I find the two are closely linked
I see no reason to stop eating cage free eggs provided that the animals are as cage free as the public thinks. This being said there needs to be a properly enforced system in order to protect these animals. For many of the factory farms there are rules in place that are supposed to protect the animals how ever many of the workers and supervisors don't follow those rules. There needs to be closer supervision of these farms. I find it unbelievable how many people don't know about the way these things are run and where a majority of their meat comes from
I've answered yes but to be honest this video has now put me off eating eggs!
I keep a small flock of happy hens who eventually die of OLD AGE! When they are not laying we do without eggs. I would never buy eggs from imprisoned birds. Battery egg production is inhumane and should be banned.
Will you choose eggs from cage-free hens? THE ANSWER IS DEFINITELY NOT AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AT ALL.
Noted and sign !
I do not eat eggs often, but I haven't bought anything other than free range for many, many years. It is so easy and available to buy free range, this barbaric treatment has got to be the most simplest thing to abolish.
Please read and share, rescued horses will die without your support.
http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/detail/1473213
victoria you have proven my point get a life and try to see both sides.
Things could be easier if money will not be present on Earth, but we are weak, most people are attached to money, power, fame, impermanent things that don´t bring us happiness, freedom and peace. Those people who cause suffering, pain, fear and death to animals in the name of money and economical interestings, must not be happy. When a living creature sufferes, all the Planet does
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