We all feel the pain with each beep as the cashier scans our food items. People who buy eggs are cringing especially hard right now. As prices continue to climb—up 60% from last year—some even resort to smuggling them into the U.S. from Mexico. Experts attribute the high cost of eggs primarily to the deadly avian flu (H5N1), which has an almost 100% fatality rate in chickens. Factory farm workers have slaughtered millions of chickens in an attempt to contain the disease, so there are fewer eggs to take.
Before more of our cash flies the coop—and to prevent more animals from suffering—let’s ditch eggs forever.
People who spend time with chickens know that they’re interesting, intelligent dinosaur descendants. Recent research published in Nature shows that chicks like to play with toys and friends. And leading animal behavior scientists say that chickens are inquisitive animals whose cognitive abilities are comparable to those of cats, dogs and even some primates. Chickens love their families and value their lives, just as we do. But the crowded, filthy conditions on today’s farms cause immense suffering and are the perfect breeding grounds for deadly diseases like the avian flu.
If a single chicken tests positive for bird flu, the farm slaughters its entire population. Workers at one of the world’s largest egg factories recently killed more than 5 million chickens after discovering a single case of avian flu. Many farms massacre the birds all at once in cruel ways. One method of mass killing involves shutting off all airflow, raising the heat and adding carbon dioxide. This process bakes them alive and can take hours while they gasp, writhe and thrust themselves against the walls, desperately trying to escape.
Bird flu isn’t the only reason chickens suffer. In the U.S., approximately 305 million hens are exploited for their eggs. Most spend their miserable lives in cramped cages or crowded warehouses until their egg production wanes and slaughterhouse workers cut their throats on the kill line. In the egg industry, billions of male chicks are killed—usually in a high-speed grinder—because they’re considered “useless.”
Buying chicks to start a backyard flock also funds the slaughter of baby males as well as sick chicks deemed “undesirable.” And after expenses, including a lifetime of specialized veterinary care, food and housing, it’s not saving anyone money on eggs. As mentioned in a recent Washington Post article, newbies might be shocked to find out that it takes around six months before hens are ready to lay eggs and that they stop laying at around age 6—yet they live to be 12 or older. There’s another reason to scrap coop plans: In 2022, “backyard chickens” caused two fatalities and at least 225 hospital admissions due to the diseases they carry.
So what’s the solution?
We don’t need eggs for our favorite recipes, so let’s go vegan. Some commercial vegan egg swaps are now even cheaper than chicken eggs, according to the market research firm IRI. And there are other affordable options, like bananas, applesauce, chia seeds, tofu and even diet soda. Looking toward the future, one company uses precise fermentation to “brew” animal-free egg whites. Innovation is always marching forward, so let’s rally with it.
Since antiquity, eggs have been symbols of rebirth and good luck. But how they end up in modern grocery store cartons has tainted that image with death and cruelty. So let’s let chickens keep their eggs—we can switch to vegan options instead.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Rebecca Libauskas is a climate research specialist for the PETA Foundation, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; www.PETA.org.
