 "Photo: Elizabeth Sorrell")
HSU is going to start serving cage-free eggs. You may think, “Great! Finally I can eat the omelets served at The J.” Cage-free means happy chickens that roam around a field, right?
Now, put two pieces of binder paper side by side. This is the amount of space that chickens live their entire lives on.
The term cage-free means chickens have two to three times more space than battery cages. This extra room allows birds to fulfill basic needs like being able to stand, walk, flap their wings, perch and nest. Birds can not do this in battery cages which is around 64 square inches.
The Compassion in World Farming Organization says battery cages are used in the production of 60% of the world’s eggs, which are produced in an industrial style.
“I think it’s fair to give the chickens more room to do what they do before we enjoy the fruits of their labor,” says junior psychology major Gabriela Diego.
Earlier this month the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recognized HSU for the switch.
Junior kinesiology major Chris Holms says the HSU decision to switch does not affect him because he’s not concerned with how chickens are treated. “I really just don’t think about it,” says Holms.
According to The Center for Food Safety, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Consumer Federation of America, choosing eggs goes beyond the ethics of animal cruelty. From a health perspective, these organizations encourage a switch to cage-free egg production.
A 2002 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology said a person who eats eggs from caged hens has about 200% higher odds of getting Salmonella poisoning compared to someone who did not eat eggs from hens kept in cages.
Director of Dinning Services Ron Rudebock says the Residence Hall Association and the campus club called A.W.A.R.E (Always Working for Animal Rights and Equality) encouraged the new goal to incorperate free-ranged chicken eggs. HSU joins more than fifteen schools in California to do this including San Francisco State University, UC Berkeley and Stanford.
Freshman business major Mitchell Snowden says, “Humboldt seems to be on top of what’s politically correct in America, so I’m actually surprised that they haven’t done this sooner.”
In 2008, The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act (Prop 2) received more than 8 million “yes” votes, banning battery cages in California.
It is the most voted initiative in California’s history. However, the proposition does not go into effect until 2015. Europe plans to eliminate battery cages out of their industry in 2012. Switzerland got rid of theirs 18 years ago.
Josh Balk, outreach director of the Human Society’s factory farming campaign, said although America is behind Europe in regulating their industry’s humane conditions, we still show the effort to catch up.
Major corporations such as Burger King, Subway, Wendy’s, Denny’s, IHOP, Sonic, Arby’s, Starbucks, Red Robin, Carl’s Jr., and Quiznos have all made the switch to cage free eggs.
Also, according to a survey by the Sustainable Endowment Institute, 64% of universities in America switched to cage-free eggs. Balk says in 2005 virtually no college did this. He adds that customers are overwhelmingly concerned with the issue.
However, cage-free doesn’t necessarily mean cruelty-free. Some argue that it is not the solution to the industy’s reform.
Beaks are still cut off. The mortality and cannibalism rate is actually higher among cage-free compared to battery caged chickens. This is because they have more space to be able to pack each other to death.
According to the Human Society’s website, most cage-free chickens never go outside, and are transported long distances to slaughter plants with no food or water.
Nevertheless, Balk says cage-free chickens live a dramatically better lifestyle then those in battery cages and says it’s a step in the right direction. “We can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
3 comments
Cage-free and free range are exposed to many more potential problems than caged....for instance: in free-range they are open to predators such as hawks, foxes, etc., also open to the weather (blazing hot, freezing cold, rain, etc) so their mortality can be around 3 times higher than caged. While cage free are better than free range they still face issues such as disease and an unforgiving "pecking order." In caged the hens are kept separate from manure, if cage free they walk around in it, lay their eggs in it, and unfortunately eat it and can get coccidiosis which will basically make their insides bleed. So while caged limit their freedom, if the producer is UEP certified the birds are kept in a humane manner so that they can stand up, turn around, move freely and hav access to food and water 100% of the time and be closely monitored so that each bird can get adequate care. HSUS loves to say they can't stretch their wings....1) that is false if they are UEP certified 2) do we as humans stand around w/ our arms extended all day long? I think not so to act like we all (and chickens) need to stand around all day w/ their arms extended is just plain silly. Simply put mortality is 2 and 3 times higher in cage-free and free-range. Happy healthy chickens don't die!!!