Back yard chickens do not produce cruelty-free eggs

December 14, 1:59 PMSeattle Vegan ExaminerVirginia Messina, MPH, RD

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Dead and dying male chicks in dumpster behind a hatchery. Photo courtesy
of Farm Sanctuary.

Backyard chicken-keeping is increasingly popular in both suburban and urban neighborhoods. It’s a trend linked to the growing interest in sustainable, local eating habits. And many people believe that keeping their own chickens is a good alternative to the harsh treatment associated with factory-farmed eggs.

But eggs from backyard chickens are far from cruelty-free. Recently, a group of six animal protection organizations including Farm Sanctuary and United Poultry Concerns issued a statement about the problems with keeping backyard chickens. They highlighted the following concerns:

Chicken hatcheries are the avian equivalent of puppy mills. Hatcheries producing chicks for backyard flocks are factory farms. They often keep breeding chickens crammed into small cages or sheds with no outdoor access. There are no laws regarding treatment or housing of these animals.

Millions of male chicks are killed immediately at hatcheries. There is no market for male chicks. Within minutes of hatching, they are killed, either by dumping them into grinding machines or tossing them into dumpsters where they smother to death. See the video below for an inside look at how chicks are killed.

Shipping baby chicks is cruel. Hatcheries ship day-old chicks to feed stores or directly to homes through the mail. Chicks may be exposed to extreme temperatures and may be confined in boxes without food for days. One veterinarian specializing in avian medicine said “A day-old chick can no more withstand three days in a dark crowded box than can any other newborn.”

Unwanted chickens end up being killed. Hens produce eggs for only about half their natural lives or sometimes less than that.  For this reason, sanctuaries are over-run with chickens. They are also crowded with roosters. Since sexing chicks is more art than science, as many as 20 to 50 percent of purchased “hens” are actually roosters. In many areas, keeping a rooster is illegal. And if the goal of keeping backyard chickens is to get fresh eggs, roosters have no function. Very few roosters or older hens find their way to sanctuaries. They are often abandoned or dumped at shelters where they are killed.

If you like chickens or roosters and would like to give one a home, consider adopting. You can find adoptable chickens at petfinder.com (look under “birds,” and click on “all breeds” to find chickens). Or find a farm animal sanctuary near you that might have chickens available for adoption through Animal Place or Farm Animal Shelters. Before you adopt, though, be sure that you are prepared to care for the chicken for the rest of her life. Chickens need to be protected from predators and need appropriate medical care.

Going Egg Free

No matter how happy a backyard chicken coop might look, there is really no such thing as a cruelty-free egg. The only option guaranteed to keep you on the side of compassion and ethical treatment of animals is to go egg free. Check these options for cooking without eggs.