Free-Range Hens Need Rescuing Too

One hundred "spent" free-range hens scheduled for slaughter arrived at Peaceful Prairie recently (see "Coming Home" and the video ""The Faces of 'Free-Range' Farming". I'd post the video, but I'd rather you go to YouTube so it gets more hits.). They were all debeaked with no anesthetic, they all had severe feather loss, they all endured repeated cycles of forced molting, sometimes being starved for up to 18 days, and at 18 months of age, they were already considered "spent." Though they weren't in cages, they lived a dreadful existence in a sunless, windowless shed, reeking of ammonia.

When they arrived they were terrified and still exhibiting the neurotic behaviors they developed as a result of their extreme abuse. And all for eggs sold for a premium, touted by PeTA, HSUS and Peter Singer.

For those of you who have friends and family who proudly proclaim that they consume only cage-free eggs (and I'm not mocking them here, as they have every reason to believe they are not adding to the problem of suffering by choosing cage-free eggs), please refer them to the story of the hens who are living at Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary. (And maybe send them Thinking Critically About Animal Rights while you're at it.) It's clear from looking at the hens and their behavior, that there was not substantially less suffering at their cage-free facility, contrary to what we are all told. The one thing we do know is true no matter what, however, is that there is no such thing as a cruelty-free egg.

Comments

[emily]

Surely you can't call barn-raised hens free-range? Not that I would believe a thing printed on egg boxes. And don't get me started on the California cows TV spots....

[Mary Martin]

Those California cows, having a grand ol' time, talking about their wonderful lives, really hit home the obvious point that advertising is about showing people what they need to see in order to do something they wouldn't ordinarily do. Between them and the Purdue guy, talking about how spoiled his chickens are, it's no wonder the average American doesn't find anything wrong with eating animals. We're up against what must be one of the longest-running misinformation campaigns in history.

[BrandonXVX]

PETA does not advocate eating "free range" eggs. They discourage the consumption of any animal products.

Excerpt from: "Free-Range and Organic Meat, Eggs, and Dairy Products: Conning Consumers?"
http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=96
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From the “free-range” hen who smells fresh air for the first time on her way to the slaughterhouse to the “humanely raised” dairy cow whose male calf is taken from her and sold to veal farmers, all animals who are raised for food suffer. The only truly humane option is to choose vegan alternatives to meat, eggs, and dairy products. Call 1-888-VEG-FOOD or visit GoVeg.com to order a free vegetarian starter kit that contains information on faux meat, alternatives to eggs, and vegan cheese.
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[mary martin]

Brandon,

The problem abolitionists have with PeTA is that they do have some fantastic language about animals not being ours to use (that's why we all signed up, and I gave to them since like 1985!), but what has become a "victory" for them, such as fast-food chains going cage-free (http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=10444), is only going to make more people feel less bad about eating at those fast-food chains. It makes them feel less bad about eating animals. If someone tells me something is a "victory," I take that as an endorsement. This, as you well know, is the debate that takes up countless comments on animal-related blogs. We now know where you stand. Thanks, as always, for reading and writing.

[Roger Yates]

The links supplied by Brandon and then Mary reveal how inconsistent PeTA are in its claims-making. I'm also rather intrigued by the "supporting evidence" on PeTA's resolution to Wendys in which they place the words "cage-free" in inverted commas as though there is a problem with the term and/or Wendys competitors' compliance or something - and yet PeTA are asking for Wendys to simply fall into line with its competitors (emphasising the economic advantages of doing so).

Can anyon explain all this to a mere Britisher!

best
RY