HomeOur scopeFarm AnimalsLaying hens
Don't you feel pitty?
*Reference Year 2019 / Source IBGE 2020
Almost all chickens raised to produce eggs for human consumption live their entire productive lives in cages. These cages are piled up in rows and columns (that is why they are called “battery” cages) for an optimal use of the space in warehouses. This type of breeding system maximizes profits, as it requires less space, less labor and facilitates management (cleaning, feeding and egg collection).
However, it disregards that the chickens suffer a lot in these conditions:
There is extreme discomfort due to the lack of space (each chicken occupies less space than an A4 sheet), meaning they cannot walk, spread their wings, or interact socially in a satisfactory way.
The bars of the open floor of the cage, which facilitate the outflow of manure, is very uncomfortable, causing injuries to the claws.
Overcrowded cages facilitate the spread of diseases, especially respiratory diseases, such as bird flu and infectious coryza.
The hens are deprived of elements that are extremely important for their well-being, such as perches, nesting space and material, and substrate (soil or sand).
To “solve” the problem of feather pecking, the industry mutilates the tip of their beak, a procedure that can cause a lot of acute and chronic pain if not done well. When done poorly, the beaks can remain deformed to a point where eating becomes difficult or even impossible.
It is common to find dead animals decomposing right next to alive chicken, contributing to the infestation of larvae and adult flies, foul-smell and unhealthy situations.
Although inside barns, the hens at least are loose and no longer in cages. In addition to more space, there are perches, a nesting area and dirt or sand to dust bathe and explore.
The birds, of specific breeds, have access to outside area. The use of antibiotics or other medicine is only allowed to treat diseases, not for prevention or growth promotion.
Organic eggs come from chickens that are free from cages and that have access to pasture. At least 80% of their food must be organic and cannot be genetically modified. Only a restricted list of medicine can be applied and exclusively for treating health issues.
Check out how other countries are addressing this issue:
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