Ethical egg production... no-kill egg farms?!
My question is are there any ethical egg farmers that do not kill or sell their animals to butchers? I think mass egg production is disgusting and inhumane but I would support a small ethical well managed farm.
Answers: eggs are good for you... they're a good source of b12 vitamins. I think veganism is unnecessary if eggs can be produced in a humane manner. Eggs for eating aren't baby animals.. they are essentially a waste product of healthy birds in my opinion. A single duck can comfortably produce eggs to provide enough nutrition to supplement several vegetarians diets. My neighbor has 2 ducks and together they've been producing about an egg a day and they seem very happy. When they get old they will still provide good manure for crops.
My question is are there any ethical egg farmers that do not kill or sell their animals to butchers? I think mass egg production is disgusting and inhumane but I would support a small ethical well managed farm.
I've talked to a former organic egg farmer about this. She said that any hen's egg production declines dramatically at 15 months and can only be pushed longer by forced molting. It would not be economically feasible for organic and free range farms to "retire" the chickens and allow them to live out their full lives. Any commercial farm, whether organic or free-range, needs to send unproductive hens to slaughter if it wants to continue to be profitable.
It think it would be ethical if someone had a few chickens or ducks for eggs, took good care of them, let them live naturally, and allowed them to live out their full lives. It would basically be like an animal sanctuary. This is not the case for organic or free-range commercial egg farms though, at least to my knowledge.
There are similar problems with small-scale dairy farms. I once interviewed a former goat farmer who is now vegan and runs an animal sanctuary. She explained that goats (and cows) must have babies in order to produce milk, and something must be done with the babies. Few small farms can afford to feed an ever-increasing herd, so the babies are usually sold for meat. Also, the male calves can't produce milk so they are shipped off to be turned into veal.
I admire people for wanting to buy products that are more humanely-sourced than factory farms. I just don't think there's any such thing as a truly humane, "no-kill" commercial farm.
Amen brother.....but this goes directly against the basis of vegetarianism and the only positive responses you may get is from the "pretend" lacto-ovo-onoIwanna eat meat veggies.
EDIT-- I stand corrected....Thank you Orange.
To me, eating any animal product is unnatural and unhealthy, but I think if you were going to eat any egg, you should buy it from someone who personally owns their own chickens, not factory farmed hens. The yolk of one egg has over 200 milligrams of cholesterol. That is heart disease on a platter. But then again no one can make anyone think any different.
Umm, not exactly super healthy. Eggs have loads of cholesterol. The farms you are thinking of are free range farms.
I doubt there are any comertial no kill egg farms. You could always rasie your own birds.
But eggs have the potential to be a living animal.
yeah no farmer produces eggs without harming the bird somewhat. The only case I can think of is people who small numbers of chooks on the side, and sell eggs to friends etc. But most farmers will slaughter their birds for themselves to eat once in a while.
If you have a neighbour with some rescued chooks, I wouldn't have a problem with you eating those eggs (provided you do not call yourself vegan). This is as ethically sound as they will ever get- but they are still animal products so not vegan (I just say this for clarity, not accusing you of anything Hello).
Note: *Britain* once an egg is laid it cannot become an animal unless it was already fertilised. Hens that get up and leave unfertilised eggs don't want them anymore.