The Egg Industry

Insight into the Egg Industry

Chicks are incubated in huge incubators without any contact with their mother

The life expectancy of chickens is decreasing: Under normal conditions, a chicken can live up to 15 years. In industrial farming, however, they barely get older than 20 months, as their performance decreases afterwards.

Egg production: Worldwide, the USA and China are the largest egg producers.

Every second egg is processed. Most of them come from cage farming.

Due to boredom and lack of space, hens tend to feather pecking and even cannibalism. Therefore, in industrial farming, their beaks are shortened without anaesthetic.

Beak shortening: The beak of a chicken is equipped with nerves. When shortening the beak without anaesthesia, the chicken suffers as much as we do after a finger amputation.

Worldwide, the majority of chickens live in intensive husbandry or in cages. Each chicken has about as much space as a DIN A4 sheet of paper.

Day-old chicks: Since male chicks are of no use to the egg industry, they are already sorted out as chicks and shredded alive.

300 eggs per year: Contrary to the laws of nature, a high-performance chicken produces one egg per day. The unnaturally high laying performance leads to increased health risks and a higher mortality rate.

Factory farming is a brutal and cruel industry. Laying hens in particular are exposed to almost unimaginable suffering. Common egg production practices include the intensive containment of thousands of chickens in industrial stalls, debeaking without pain relievers, and maceration - related to the process by which male chicks are ground live.

These methods are mostly exempted as standard agricultural practices under government anti-cruelty laws.

The growing demand for eggs that are produced under less abusive conditions has led to an increase in terms and labels designed to attract consumers. But these many terms can be confusing - sometimes on purpose. In addition, misleading images on egg packaging can further confuse buyers. That is why the Animal Legal Defense Fund has put together this guide on the conditions you are likely to see on egg packaging. It is designed to help you be more informed and avoid confusion as you make your purchasing decisions.

Free-Range and Cage-Free: These terms refer to the environment in which the chickens are kept. The terms do not mean that the chickens have been spared some of the egg industry's worst horrors such as debeaking and maceration.

Free-Range: Eggs marked as “free-range” must be produced by chickens who have unrestricted access to feed, water and nature during their egg-laying cycle. These requirements are mandated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Chickens are killed when their oviposition cycles are complete.

Cage-Free: While free-range chickens need access to nature, this is not the case with chickens whose eggs are labeled as cage-free. The USDA states that eggs marked as cage-free must be produced by chickens housed in a building, room, or enclosed area that allows unrestricted access to feed and water and the freedom to roam within the Area to move cycle. "These chickens are also killed as soon as their laying cycles are completed.

Antibiotic-Free and Hormone-Free: Consumers can be misled if they believe that eggs labeled as antibiotic-free and hormone-free were produced under less cruel conditions. That's not the case. Most eggs in the United States are antibiotic-free because antibiotics reduce egg production, and all eggs are hormone-free because it is illegal to give hormones to chickens. In other words, even the cruelest eggs can be labeled with these labels.

Other terms: be careful! A number of terms that you will find on egg cartons sound impressive as if they mean laying hens have been treated in humane conditions.

However, many of them have no regulatory or policy guidelines from the USDA or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

These include:

"Willow raised"

"Farm Fresh"

"Naturally educated"

"Animal friendly"

"Happy Hens"

Federal Certifications and Seals: The various federal certifications and seals are also deeply misleading.

USDA Organic: A lack of clarity allows manufacturers to take advantage of the system and leads consumers to believe that animals have a higher quality of life as product costs increase.

The USDA's organic program allegedly requires producers to keep animals under living conditions that “take into account the health and natural behavior of the animals”. These include "clean drinking water and direct sunlight that is appropriate for the species, their stage of life, the climate and the environment: Except that animals are temporarily denied access to nature ..." Some manufacturers have made use of this loophole - chickens in overcrowded stalls most of the time Keeping in time or all of the time.

In April 2016, the USDA passed a regulation that would have given organic producers clearer animal welfare standards. According to the USDA datasheet on the impetus for the new rule: "A lack of clarity in the standards for organic livestock and poultry has led to inconsistent practices among organic producers." The rule would in part have required producers to give animals "Allow daily access to nature and that the outdoor areas include vegetation and / or soil". It would also have set a minimum amount of indoor space for chickens, prohibiting forced skinning, limiting the use of artificial light and the amount of ammonia in the air, and requiring indoor space for laying hens.

But in March 2018, the Trump administration withdrew the rule. As a result, eggs labeled organic may continue to come from facilities well below the welfare standards that the average shopper associates with the term "organic".

USDA Process Verified Program: The USDA Process Verified Program is a voluntary program that manufacturers can participate in for a fee. Businesses can state that they are USDA Process Verified for any number of production claims, including hen welfare claims. However, the USDA has not established guidelines for assessing claims.

Private Certification Programs: Some egg producers voluntarily participate in private certification programs.

Below is a brief description of the individual programs. These are provided for educational purposes and should not be construed as endorsement by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

United Egg Producers Certified is a voluntary program developed by United Egg Producers, an industry trade group that represents 90% of the eggs produced in the United States. It exists to certify common industry practices such as intense containment. Debeaking and forced skinning are recommended by reducing protein intake and lighting.

"Certified Humane" is a voluntary, fee-based certification in which chickens do not have to have access to nature. Debeaking without pain medication is allowed.

"American Humane Certified" is a voluntary fee-based certification that does not require chickens to have access to nature. Debeaking without pain medication is allowed.

"Animal Welfare Approved" is a voluntary free certification and sets the highest standard for the treatment of laying hens. It requires chickens to have access to pastures, nesting boxes, and dust baths, and prohibits debeaking. It allows male chicks to be killed.

The labeling of eggs in the EU

The labeling for shell eggs is mandatory throughout the EU. Since 2004, fresh shell eggs in the European Union have had to bearUnfortunately, there is no labeling requirement for processed foods such as pasta, baked goods and ready-made meals, which is why cheap cage eggs are very often processed here. a stamp that provides information about the type of husbandry the eggs came from.

The producer code for shell eggs is composed as follows:

0-AT-1234567

The first digit provides information about the type of housing:

0 = organic farming

1 = free range

2 = floor farming

3 = cage

The letters provide information about the country of origin:

AT = Austria; D = Germany etc.

The last seven digits are the farm number of the farmer.

Organic husbandry = 0

In organic farming, the stable has to have perches and laying nests and at least one third of it has to be strewn. A maximum of six chickens share one square metre of space in the stable. In addition, each chicken has at least 4 m² of space to run around. In total, a maximum of 3,000 hens may live in one stable. The chickens may not be given prophylactic medication such as antibiotics.

The biggest bonus compared to other forms of keeping chickens on the floor is the organic farming method. This means that animal husbandry is land based. In other words, farmers may only keep as many animals as they can feed from the land. Another advantage is the quality of the feed. The feed is produced without genetic engineering, pesticides and chemical synthetic fertilizers.

Free range =1

In free-range husbandry, the hens have access to the open air during the day, in addition to the stable with nests, perches and litter. Just as with organic husbandry, each animal has at least four square metres of space at its disposal.

In free range husbandry, it is important to distinguish between conventional and organic eggs. The difference lies in the feeding. In conventional farming, artificial colour pigments are added to the feed to give the egg its intense orange yolk. In addition, synthetically produced amino acids are added to the feed.

Organic hens, however, receive high quality organic feed, which is genetically unprocessed. They receive a mixture of cereals that has been composed in a way that it contains the amino acids which are essential for the hens. In addition, the time they spend outdoors on the meadow means that they eat grains, seeds, herbs, worms or insects as so-called organic feed. In addition, organic chickens have the most space to run around and are thus given the opportunity to behave as they would naturally do, i.e. taking sand baths, scratching, pecking, etc.

Stable husbandry = 2

In stable husbandry, nine hens per square metre live in large barns. If laying nests and perches are installed on several floors, which is called aviary husbandry, there may even be 18 hens per square metre. A total of 6,000 hens lives in a barn like that. This can overtax the animals in terms of forming a hierarchy and pecking order, which can lead to behavioural disorders such as feather pecking and cannibalism. The stress caused by crowding is a common cause of death in stable husbandry. Just as with cage husbandry, the animals in stable husbandry often lack activities because there is no green run.

Natural behaviours such as pecking, foraging or scratching can only be practised to a limited extent in stable husbandry, as the chickens have less space than in free range husbandry. To prevent this, fresh bedding or other working materials have to be made available to the animals.

Cage husbandry = 3

In conventional battery cages, the hens live in very small cages. An area of 550 square centimetres is available per hen. Each cage houses 4-5 hens. The cages are arranged in double rows and in up to eight levels. The hens live pressed together on wire mesh floors, without any daylight. The lack of sunlight and the lack of movement leads to osteoporosis, brittle bones or broken wings. The hens have no chance to flutter, sand bath or scratch. Since they cannot scratch, their claws are not used, which means they can hurt themselves and each other. Besides the usual illnesses and injuries, there also is permanent stress. In the narrow cages, the hens cannot exercise their species-appropriate behaviour: they cannot rest, walk, stretch their wings, jump or fly. In addition, dyes, synthetic vitamins or medicines are added to the feed, which also strain hens’ health. The chickens are kept in cages for about 12 – 14 months. However, 5-10% do not survive this time and prematurely die in the cage. Conventional cages have been banned in EU countries since 2012. As an alternative, so-called “enriched cages” are allowed. Each individual chicken has 750 cm² of space. Compared to the conventional cages, the chickens have “perches”, “laying nests” and a “scratching area” available. Although this is an alternative, it does not meet the needs of animals.

Flour dishes, baked goods, pasta, ready meals: almost always with a cage egg

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, around 1.6 billion shell eggs are currently consumed in Austria each year. In supermarkets hardly any eggs from cage batteries are sold, but things are different in wholesale markets and in some Asian and Turkish shops. Sometimes undeclared or incorrectly declared eggs are discovered even at farmers' markets. The situation with finished products is completely unsatisfactory. Processed foods and ready meals are not subject to labeling. As a rule, it can be assumed that cheap cage eggs are used in most mayonnaises, egg noodles, pastries, baked goods and ready-made meals - unless the label explicitly states the source from which the eggs come. If the manufacturer uses free-range or barn eggs, he usually also writes this on the packaging, because it is an argument for his product. If it doesn't say anything like that, it can be assumed that cage eggs were used. Designations such as "whole egg powder", "liquid egg" and the like are only forms of processing cage eggs.

No bliss

The 1.6 billion shell eggs that are consumed in Austria every year do not include the millions and millions of eggs processed. These are - separated according to yolk and egg white - in huge plastic bags or buckets from the agricultural industry to the food industry: for pastries, baked goods, pasta and ready meals. Nowadays, no baker opens a shell egg anymore, no recipe contains a number of eggs as an ingredient specification, here calculations are in kilograms. The majority of these cheaper eggs and egg components come from abroad: from cages and from countries where beak-docking (which, however, has not yet been generally prohibited in Austria) is common practice. The tip of the beak is cut off - a painful process as many nerve tracts converge in the tip of the beak, the chicken's most important tactile organ.

Demand creates supply

Large companies and the catering industry mainly use the cheaper cage eggs, because unfortunately cage eggs from abroad can still be sold in Austria. The EU could not bring itself to a ban on cage farming. On the contrary, she continues to rely fully on cage management. The improvements, now referred to as designed cages, are marginal: The cages are only a few centimeters larger than those of the earlier battery cells. The mandatory labeling of all foods that contain eggs, which animal rights activists have long been calling for, has not been implemented.

So the consumers are challenged! Our recommendation: Always ask for organic or free-range eggs in restaurants and hotels. For finished products, choose egg-free or only those whose packaging specifically indicates free-range eggs; Certified organic products are even better here.