Published Letters and Op-Eds from
COK’s Writers Group

Tide is Turning Toward Free Range Ranches in U.S. Egg Industry

Dear Editor,

It's heartening to read about Mr. Ascarie, an egg farm owner who is dismantling the standard wire "battery" cages on his farm in favor of a more humane cage-free system for his hens ("Free Range Ranch Plans" Aug. 23).

Experts agree that battery cages deprive birds of their most basic needs. In fact, the average battery hen is afforded less living space than the size of a sheet of notebook paper. These birds are so intensively confined, they cannot even spread their wings let alone build nests, roost, or preen.

Despite these welfare concerns, which have prompted several European countries to ban the use of battery cages altogether, the battery-cage system continues to dominate the U.S. egg industry.

The tide is turning, however, as a growing number of consumers are demanding more humane options. If current trends continue, battery-cage egg farmers nationwide will soon be scrambling to follow Mr. Ascarie's lead.

Erica Meier
Executive Director
Compassion Over Killing