Egg-stra compassion

At the end of last semester, IU’s Revitalizing Animal Well-Being and the Humane Society of the United States met with Residential Programs and Services Dining Services to discuss the possibility of switching to cage-free eggs. The representatives at dining services were clearly opposed to animal cruelty and were pleased to consider this possibility. While RPS continues to look into making the switch to cage-free eggs, we wanted to extend the discussion to our entire community and explain why so many people are speaking out against to the cruel and inhumane confinement of hens in battery cages.   

Although “cage free” does not necessarily mean “cruelty free,” switching to these eggs is an important step toward ending the horrors of intensive confinement systems in factory farming. The majority of egg-laying hens in this country spend their lives in battery cages – each one confined to less space than a standard sheet of notebook paper. Unable to engage in instinctive behaviors like dust-bathing, perching and nesting – or even walking – caged hens lead a life of frustration and suffering.

Overcrowded and miserable, they can’t even spread their wings. Moreover, animals kept in these conditions are often filthy and diseased; their cages are often covered in blood, feces and urine. Anyone up for an omelet?  

For those who want to have their omelets and eat them too, cage-free eggs offer a better alternative to the cruelty and filth of caged egg production. And while it’s true that cage-free eggs are slightly more expensive, this is the case only if the social costs are ignored. For instance, should IU make the switch to cage-free eggs, part of our tuition would sustain local farmers rather than massive corporations. In other words, by improving the lives of hens, we also support our local economy.   

If this transition seems impractical, think again: IU has the opportunity to join the more than 350 universities across the United States using cage-free eggs, including three of our fellow Big Ten schools: the universities of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. It’s time for IU to join their ranks by breaking out of our shell and trying something new: compassion.

Given the social and ethical benefits, it makes sense for our campus to enact a minor purchasing change in order to improve the lives of hens that lay eggs for the student body. Sometimes even the smallest changes can bring the biggest differences.   
But let’s not count our chickens before they hatch out of their cage-free eggs. IU Dining Services is still undecided and might need some encouragement from the student body. Please help us give a voice to animals in need. On behalf of egg-laying hens, we thank you.

If you’re interested in joining our “Egg-straordinary IU” campaign, please visit www.indiana.edu/~iuraw. For more information about battery cages, please watch the two-minute video at the bottom of HSUS’s Web site, www.NoBatteryEggs.com.