Caged Hens

                I come to you with no ordinary article about the mistreatment of animals, but an animal that produces a product that is contained in a box of one dozen. I’m talking about the 300 million egg laying hens that are suffering in a 67 square inch wired cage compacted with 5-7 hens per cage in a windowless warehouse.  I’m talking about the mistreated hens by workers and dead chickens lying near the eggs that we, as the consumer buy. I’m talking about these hens because, they have no voice.

Image via Wikipedia

                As I look at the box of one dozen eggs, I notice a grade that has been given, ‘AA.’ It’s been given a false name as a high quality egg with a smiling hen when not many people know the truth.  As I research this subject, I find the truth behind it all at EggIndustry.com, showing gruesome videos of the mistreatment and the health of these hens. These hens are grabbed by the neck or legs and are forced into an unsterilized battery cage. And what used to be the white fluffy hens are now featherless hens caused by the constant rubbing against the wired cages. Some hens begin to show weakness and present open sores or infected eyes and wounds. The sick, weak, injured and immobilized hens are toppled with other hens and begin to decompose; some dead hens are even lying right next to the eggs. So let me ask you, is this what you want eat?  Their lives have been stolen from them. The hens have zero advantages of nesting supplies, outdoor access, bathing materials, or even natural sunlight. Because of the small cage that is fitted with 5-7 chickens, there natural behavior is modified; the hens sound is no longer a good morning call or monotone call, it’s a call of help and fright.

Multiple MFA (Mercy for Animals) Investigators have been accepted to work at egg farms while staying undercover to take footage of the misuse of hens. On one particular investigation the investigator had pointed out a weakened hen in a cage to a worker. The employee grabbed the chicken by its neck and swung it around multiple times until throwing it against a wall and walking away.  90% of the egg laying hens that are forced into these dark clustered cages is left until they rot. These hens are not given food, water or veterinary assistance and are gassed with carbon dioxide after two years because the hen no longer produces eggs. You have the power as the consumer to stop this horrendous treatment because that’s where you get your eggs. You can help by visiting EggIndustry.com where you can view videos of undercover investigators, photos, and ways you can reduce and donate to this issue.