New Undercover Investigation Exposes Extreme Cruelty at New England’s Largest Egg Farm

A new undercover investigation reveals shocking mistreatment of animals at Quality Eggs of New England, New England’s largest egg farm. The investigation took place at the Turner, Maine facility in December of 2008. Over the next couple of months an investigator working for Mercy for Animals gathered video footage that exposes the extreme cruelty these animals endure every day of their lives. It depicts rampant animal abuse as well as squalid conditions.

The footage shows rotting carcasses in cages with hens who are still laying eggs for human consumption. It documents workers and managers throwing live birds into trash cans to be crushed to death by other birds. Many hens suffer painful injuries and never recieve veterinary care. Workers at QENE kick the animals into the manure pits below the battery-cages, where hens either drown in liquid waste or die slow deaths of starvation or sickness.

From the Investigator’s Diary:

“At Quality Egg of New England, the wire cages were stacked three rows high, typically with four to six birds per cage.

The cages were each about 16 inches wide and long and 20 inches deep.

All of the chickens were debeaked and many had developed neuromas – painful tumors on the remaining parts of their beaks caused by the debeaking process”

Animal Welfare Experts Condemn QENE
There is a long list of veterinarians and animal welfare experts who are condemning this facility for its terrible conditions. Dr. Temple Grandin, an adviser to the USDA and a world-renowned expert on farmed-animal welfare, said “The place is a filthy, disgusting mess and very poorly maintained. The chickens look awful as well.” MFA’s list of expert statements contains at least 7 other animal welfare experts condemning QENE.

What can you do?
With the help of Compassion Over Killing, Mercy for Animals has submitted a petittion to the District Attorney urging their office to hold the egg factory farm accountable for voilations of Maine’s anti-cruelty laws. As we all know, these sorts of legal actions rarely result in real change for the animals. The American legal system simply does not value the suffering of animals. Animals killed for food are mostly exempt from any animal welfare protections.

The best thing anyone can do to help the hens in factory farms is to simply not eat eggs. Each eggs represents somewhere around 25 or 30 hours of intense suffering. Every dollar we spend is a vote and buying eggs means we’re voting for animal abuse. They’re not getting any of my money!

What do you think?

UPDATE: Radlo Foods Becomes First National Egg Producer to Phase Out Battery Cages

Read more: animal welfare

photo cred: MFA

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Joy S.

7:20AM PDT on May 28, 2009

Luckily, I live in a part of PA where we have wonderful "free range" small egg farms. These are not merely "cage free" (which is indeed misleading). These are field-raised, foraging chickens, who eat bugs, chickweed, etc. and even contribute to pest management and self-distributing, non-oil-based fertilizer [wink] at biodynamic farms. We also have the right to have chickens as pets (egg laying pets, that is) under my city's "5 pet" limit. It's becoming quite trendy, even.

I can get a box of these eggs--all shapes and sizes, with amazing, fragrant, intense orange yolks--at the local co-op for under $5. Compared to $2 for supermarket eggs, you could call it expensive. I call it a fair price. I also call it an inexpensive, low carbon emissions source of protein. Short of farming my own soybeans, it's about as guilt-free a protein source as I can think of. (Tofu from Amazon-raised soybeans, shipped by way of China, fertilized with oil-derived fertilizer? No way that's more eco, nor more animal friendly). Though if you know of a locally-sourced organic tofu manufacturer, I'd be thrilled!

send a green star

Muhammad Faiz F.

1:33AM PDT on Apr 25, 2009

I'll hope the British government will view this matter seriously! even though this was an egg farm, the animal should not be killed like this! The British government must take action against the egg farm that do cruelty towards animal!

Marie Therese F.

1:38PM PDT on Apr 15, 2009

ROBIN . Eggs that haven't been fecundated by a rooster can't give life :) So you can eat eggs coming from free hens , you won't kill a chicken ;)

ROBIN M.

1:31PM PDT on Apr 14, 2009

I DON'T FEEL RIGHT EATING EGGS ANY WAY, EVERY TIME I SEE ONE I THINK OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A BABY CHICK AND IT TURNS MY STOMACH TO THINK I TOOK A LIFE.

Susan S.

9:50AM PDT on Apr 14, 2009

How can anyone feel that this is a humane way of raising chickens for meat production and egg laying. Chickens need a free range to move so that they will be healthy. I would love to know the bacteria counts in these places. No wonder eating this type of chicken and eggs has NO TASTE AT ALL. I raise just enough chickens for our family and treat them with respect and they have never been sick. Please stop what you are doing, NOW!!!!!

Irene P.

8:49AM PDT on Apr 13, 2009

As for so-called "Cage-Free" eggs, let me tell you that
our wonderful Dept. of Agriculture considers "a total of 18 minutes a day" out of the cage, as cage-free !! Some free
range chickens these are. I went Vegan 20 years ago and
so am doing my part to boycott these horriifc egg farms.

Irene M.

7:48AM PDT on Apr 13, 2009

This horrific cruelty,and abuse of caged hens has been going on for years. The Government is to blame for this,and all animal cruelty,as they do nothing to prevent it,there is no deterrant,and they do not pass laws to deal severely with,and convict the perpetrators of animal cruelty,and abuse. Where there is money to be made they will do nothing,and they get away with it.Serious strict laws on all animal welfare/abuse/murder are desperately needed,and they need to be implemented.The fact that it is necessary to constantly sign petitions on the most horrific abuse of animals imaginable is proof that the Government has failed totally in their duty of care to our animals.

Past Member .

7:13AM PDT on Apr 13, 2009

Go vegetarian!

Elaine R.

6:57AM PDT on Apr 13, 2009

GO VEGAN

6:54AM PDT on Apr 13, 2009

PLEASE DO NOT BUY EGGS NOT EVEN FREE RANGE EGGS ARE FREE RANGE - IF YOU MUST AV EGGS GET YOUR OWN CHICKEN