Do You Consider Caged Eggs Unethical?

Trying2SaveABuck on 22/05/2023 - 22:30
Last edited 25/05/2023 - 12:22

So i was 'part' of a conversation the other day in which a vegaterian colleague was expressing her 'strong' views on how eating meat is 'unethical' - now i dont push my lifestyle on anyone and i certainly dont care about anyone elses but personally i like eating meat and i eat meat in moderation mostly chicken and fish - however in the overly PC and sensative workplace i work in, i though i should just nod my head and say 'fair enough, i understand your point of view' ….

Anyway as this colleague was ranting another colleague asked her do you think 'eating eggs' is ethical in which she said 'caged eggs should be banned' - she admited she ate only 'free ranged' eggs on occasion and continued ranting about the unethical ways chickens are treated - my reponses was 'fair enough' once more

now i 'said nothing' because i have learnt people with strong opinions are just not worth arguing with but i personally do not 'buy free range eggs' or to be clear i generally buy the 'cheapest dozen on the shelf which 9 times out of 10 are caged i never though twice as for me the cost is what matters most…..

For the record i dont agree it is unethical to eat/buy caged eggs but ill leave it to the unheralding wisdom of the Ozbargain community

updated [25-5-23] - some interesting points and im happy to 'learn' i will buy free ranged eggs if possible from here on in (personal growth is why i posted these things)

Poll Options

  • 745
    Caged eggs are Unethical
  • 200
    Caged eggs are ethically fine
Food & Grocery Eggs

Comments

  • Oz em on 24/05/2023 - 23:22
    +2

    Australia has committed to phasing out the use of battery cages for laying hens by 2036

  • poisongodmachine on 25/05/2023 - 01:44
    +2

    I do find it unethical, and at my povvo phase (until just a couple of years ago) I'd only buy caged eggs, but with a heavy heart.
    Now I can afford to buy free range, but I get it at Aldi, which is the cheapest around where I live (and I don't 100% trust Aldi, so they very well can actually be from caged chickens and nobody knows).

    • hasher22 on 25/05/2023 - 01:58

      I mean, wouldn't surprise me these cage-free or free range eggs are from caged chickens with some brands

      Alot of companies will sell the same product with different packaging. For example a person working in an olive oil factory said they make the same oil for a supermarket brand which is the cheapest and use the SAME oil in a different bottle, labelling it as premium olive oil and it's 4x more expensive…..

      • xsacha on 25/05/2023 - 11:26

        Yes, home brand/Woolworths brands are white labelled. Everyone knows this. Woolworths obviously doesn't make their own oil. Often it's from the market leader as they have the capacity to produce the amounts required.

        As for free range being mislabeled, that would likely ruin the company if it got out. They have auditing to ensure the space is available. Some companies provide video feeds of their chickens so you can see the state of their operations.

  • Rickysupertramp on 25/05/2023 - 09:37

    Depends on your ethics, no?
    Seemingly ethics are transient and malleable these days.

  • FallaM on 25/05/2023 - 09:39

    Absolutely. They also taste different because the chickens are under constant stress.

  • sraymond on 25/05/2023 - 09:46
    +1

    Most so called free range eggs are anything but. They get that rating due to the acreage outside the sheds which are hardly ever used for chooks to range meaning they still spend 24/7 in sheds that house up to 15,000 birds. They still basically lay their eggs in open ended cages which means they are not restricted but could not be described as free range by any stretch of the imagination. Barn laid at best.

  • MrKnowItAll on 25/05/2023 - 10:22
    +1

    We have a few backyard chickens at home, 5 of them we got from a few days old and one we took on later down the line as she stopped laying and her prior owner was going to end her life because of that. It's pretty clear that she's an ex battery hen in that her beak is incredibly short, her feathering is quite patchy and frayed and she's not good around people or other birds. And that's after a year in a backyard setting with the prior owner where she no doubt would have recovered to some degree.

    Just seeing a hen from such a setting is enough to put me off of caged eggs indefinitely and whilst I won't force anyone into the same, I can and do highly recommend actual free range eggs (which unfortunately are getting harder and harder to find with all the false advertisement we get in this product range). Not only are the yolks stunning to look but you know the hen who laid it did so in a happy and comfortable setting.

    • infinite on 25/05/2023 - 11:01
      -1

      her beak is incredibly short, her feathering is quite patchy and frayed and she's not good around people or other birds.

      Short beak is breed-related, feathering becomes patchy any time the seasons change or can also be when they go broody. Chickens are never good around other birds if you introduce them into an existing group - doing that is pretty much chicken abuse, as it only leads to the new chicken being pecked / abused / becoming the bitch of the group.

      Really sounds like you are making up a story about having chickens. No one who owns chickens would ever fail to know these basic things about them.

      • MrKnowItAll on 25/05/2023 - 23:00
        +1

        Not making it up and really not sure why anyone would? I just wasn't descriptive enough about breed and conditions as I didn't think it necessary. She (Butter) is an isa brown as are the other 5 which makes spotting the differences quite easy. Her beak is definitely a lot shorter than the others (despite being an old hen) and quite flat instead of pointy, regarding feathering they are malting at the moment but weren't at the time. Until now, the way I distinguished her from the others (if not for the large comb) is the scraggly and rough tail feathers but now with malting they all look similar! otherwise she looks pretty much the same as the others, albeit a little smaller in size.

        We did the usual 2 week introduction when bringing her in, she constantly stayed close to the coop and interacted well with the rest and once we put her in with the others, her first action was to peck at the existing birds and set herself 2nd on the pecking order (nobody messes with Henrietta! ). She's a happy chicken and we're glad we're able to provide her a home to live out the rest of her days with plenty of room and 5 friends

  • Jeffie on 25/05/2023 - 11:09
    +2

    An overwhelming response from the community here. So, have you been converted from Trying2SaveABuck to Trying2SaveACluck?

  • trapper on 25/05/2023 - 11:13
    +4

    Battery cages are horrible.

    We can farm our food humanely.

    • caitsith01 on 25/05/2023 - 13:28
      -1

      I don't get how this is even a question for people. "I can pay a tiny bit more to not torture the chicken that made this egg… nah."

  • Donmega123 on 25/05/2023 - 11:33

    Your workmate sounds very boorish if she is getting a rush from flexing on chicken eggs. It's a truism that people would prefer animals to be comfortable, but as to whether this extends to people's often limited budgets that is entirely up to the point of view of the consumer. Little kids love playing with chickens if you are equipped to buy a coop.

  • WeeDeePotato on 25/05/2023 - 11:34
    -3

    Your colleague is correct. Eating meat is unethical, especially in a western country where you have more than enough access to alternatives.

    Free range and caged are terrible.

    Also remember, eating meat is not a 'personal choice' - you are taking the life of another sentient being who did not have a choice in the matter. That being also likely had to live a horrible life at that.

  • yeowie on 25/05/2023 - 12:55

    As a kid growing up on the fringes of metropolitan Melbourne we would drive out to South Morang (farmland back then) and buy free range eggs directly from the farmers. On one occasion i was cracking an egg and a 70% developed chick came out of the shell ooze and all. I still remember it to this day and stick with caged eggs as I have an irrational fear that free ranged eggs will produce another embryo.

    • trapper on 25/05/2023 - 13:10

      Go for barn laid.

  • caitsith01 on 25/05/2023 - 13:27

    As an owner of some happy free range chickens, caged eggs are (profanity). Just pay the extra 50c extra to not torture animals, it's really not that big of a dilemma.

  • H_J on 25/05/2023 - 15:16

    It's all fictional.

    • SpainKing on 25/05/2023 - 15:16

      Chickens are fictional?

      • Trying2SaveABuck on 25/05/2023 - 15:22
        +1

        robot chicken is fictional

        • SpainKing on 25/05/2023 - 15:34
          +1

          Damn it he's right

      • TEER3X on 25/05/2023 - 20:33
        +1

        Birds aren't real

  • whatgift on 25/05/2023 - 16:53

    Of course it's unethical, but most of our meat-based farming practices are unethical! If you can afford the slight extra cost, seems to be a simple change you can make that is better. It's about the only ethical thing I do food wise, and I figure it's worth it!

  • freshofftheplane on 25/05/2023 - 16:57

    Interesting "style" of "writing"

  • jonathan111 on 25/05/2023 - 17:14

    Less omega 3 than backyard free range, egg nutrient profile lower

  • MrFrugalSpend on 25/05/2023 - 20:54
    +1

    Caged eggs are fine… it's the caged chickens I'd be more worried about…

    (PS - this is a joke)

  • FittyFitty on 26/05/2023 - 02:08

    What does unethical taste like? Asking for when I eat out, youknownamean…

  • idonotknowwhy on 26/05/2023 - 09:54

    I smacked a chicken with a stick a few times in tears of the kingdom, and after a while it called for help, and I got bombarded with like 50 invincible chickens swooping and pecking me.

  • Alexander1983 on 26/05/2023 - 11:03

    Lets see the numbers first: Free range eggs cost 4.6$ per 12/ It is usually the same as caged. Maybe 10c more per unit, comes to 1$ more per week? It is 4.60$ in Coles and 4.79 in ALDI. It is rare to buy any type cheaper than 3.6$ really - if you find it, let me know. There is no issue if there is no difference in price but if there is less animal suffering - buy Free range, easy. If people prefer to buy caged vs free range at the same price, that's not ok and weird.
    Coles eggs: https://www.coles.com.au/product/coles-cage-free-eggs-12-pac…
    Aldi eggs: https://www.aldi.com.au/en/groceries/fresh-produce/dairy-egg…

  • vchar on 26/05/2023 - 12:14

    personally, I have two reasons not to consume caged eggs
    1. it is odd but I could tell a caged egg from smell and taste. their smell and taste make me thrown up and sick sometimes. I'm not allergic to eggs though. it is the same case for chicken, pork, etc.
    2. as far as I know, they way chickens are grown for caged eggs is way too cruel to me.

    thus, I have been, kind of, willing to fork out more for free range eggs and others such as chicken, pork, etc.

    • SpainKing on 26/05/2023 - 12:17

      Point number one comes across as potentially psychosomatic. Would be interesting to do a side-by-side blind comparison to see your reaction. Point number two seems fair enough

      • vchar on 26/05/2023 - 12:19
        +1

        I'm happy to take the challenge - eggs, pork, chicken, etc you pick. I should also add that it won't cause the same effect if they are mixed with ingredients when cook. for instance, I react to boiled eggs but fried eggs. Not sure if it is psychosomatic.

        • SpainKing on 26/05/2023 - 12:24

          Whichever supports the least bad of the bad industries and will have the least waste. I think this would probably be a pork or chicken meat product (not the eggs (as caged eggs normally come in quite large packs we wouldn't want them to all be wasted, if you could find a 6 pack I'd consider it worth the science))

          I agree it would be best to keep them unadulterated so it's really the quality and taste of the animal coming through, other ingredients would mask that

          • vchar on 26/05/2023 - 12:30

            @SpainKing: I just had caged eggs a few days ago as I didn't want it go to waste and I was attempting to see if it still had the same effect on me, and it did. so I believe chicken and pork still have the same effect on me.

            as a side note, my nose could smell something that normal people couldn't probably do, even the smell is very light.

            • SpainKing on 26/05/2023 - 12:38

              @vchar: I don't know the context you had these caged eggs under but it sounds like it may not have been a blind comparison, for that you'd need like 4 plates with half free range and half caged

              You may just be a super smeller! As taste and smell are linked this could be the reason for your aversion

              • [Deactivated] on 26/05/2023 - 12:42
                +1

                @SpainKing: I think a Pepsi/Coke taste test but with caged vs free-range eggs is definitely in order. Please advise results here

              • vchar on 26/05/2023 - 12:49

                @SpainKing: Will try then

      • vchar on 03/06/2023 - 12:08

        @SpainKing: Tested on both egg and pork when visited a few friends.

        I asked them to boil me some eggs without telling them anything then ate a few eggs each time then confirmed with them after eating. The results were all correct for both free range and caged eggs.

        An instance of eating pork spring roll and I could tell it was non-free range pork and it was confirmed as well.

  • Powlie85 on 26/05/2023 - 15:07

    Not just unethical - but also plain disgusting.
    Mistreated laying hens in cages stacked to the ceiling shitting all over each other - and the ppl are supposed to eat that egg?

    • Protractor on 28/05/2023 - 16:48

      "laying hens in cages stacked to the ceiling shitting all over each other"

      As if. Got link to some pictures of this happening in Australia? (ever?)

      • Powlie85 on 28/05/2023 - 18:24

        🤣 every egg producing country has cageed eggs facilities like that. How else can you house 12-15 hens per square meter. Did you think they send the hens home at night and deep clean the place?

        Edit: just had another look. It's 18 hens per sqm. But who's counting? Surely not the business owner. Additionally, hens in these conditions either get sick, or they are on meds to prevent that. Caged eggs can't be phased out soon enough. That's my opinion.

        • Protractor on 28/05/2023 - 20:33

          You'd be surprised what feed lot animals are fed too.
          I'd like to see battery hen systems gone too, but unless humans breed less, animals are doomed to suffer more.
          Human populations grow faster than humane ag systems can adapt, or that nature can cope with.

  • berry580 on 26/05/2023 - 18:49
    -1

    Caged egg is the definition of unethical

    • Protractor on 27/05/2023 - 09:58

      It's the hens that are caged, not the cackle berries

  • [Deactivated] on 26/05/2023 - 23:35

    First world problem.

  • Protractor on 27/05/2023 - 09:58
    -1

    Ask your vegetarian friend if she is a fan of and listens to the wisdom of Sir David Attenborough. If she does bad news. Davo was asked directly about the ethics of humans eating meat and being vego. Guess what his answer is something like we are built to be omnivores.
    She'd be better off raving on about Davos other REAL barrow. The overpopulated (humans) population. So maybe she could put her epiphany to good work and advocate breeding less humans. We can and should argue about the conditions animals we consume are kept in, the quality of lives they lead, and the way we process them humanely. But judging by the way we treat each other? Well, sadly Mother Nature, even the parts we don't eat, is way down the list of DILLIGAFS for our wonderful species.

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