COK Exposes Maryland Egg Industry
 COK
investigators first went into a Maryland egg factory farm in 2001.
Through national media coverage, including an exclusive in The Washington
Post, and the release of our acclaimed "Hope for the Hopeless"
documentary, consumers across the country got what was likely their first glimpse
into the ugly reality of modern egg production.
Since the creation of trade association United Egg Producers' limited "Animal
Care Certified" program and the launch of its logo stamped on egg cartons
in 2002, we've made our way into several facilities purporting to follow humane
husbandry guidelines. The video and photographic evidence we gathered over the
years show that these egg factories are anything but humane.
In February 2005, COK investigators documented the cruel conditions for
millions of hens confined at three of Maryland's largest egg farms—County
Fair Farms, Ise-America, and Red Bird Egg Farm.
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UPDATE: In September 2005, the Federal Trade Commission
announced that the deceptive "Animal Care Certified" logo
will be gone from store shelves by March 31, 2006. Consumers can
expect to find it replaced with a new logo: "United Egg Producers'
Certified." Despite the name change to one that doesn't mislead
the public, the UEP guidelines still allow for routine animal cruelty,
including intensively confining hens in wire cages so small they
cannot spread their wings and slicing off parts of their beaks without
pain relief. COK is continuing to put pressure on the industry to
eliminate these abuses. Visit COK.net to find out how you can help.
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Although two of the three farms we investigated are part of the "Animal
Care Certified" program, just a quick glance at the photos on this page
reveal that the same level of suffering is endured by hens regardless of whether
they're caged in one of the United Egg Producers' voluntary certification facilities
or not.
As our investigators found—and the Better Business Bureau ruled in
2003 and 2004—the "Animal Care Certified" logo and related advertising
convey to consumers a misleading message of humane animal care.
COK's efforts to expose battery cage cruelty, as condoned by the egg industry,
were featured again in The Washington Post on September 19, 2005: "The
videos — shot by Takoma Park animal advocates who say they have spent years
sneaking into local poultry farms — show hens closely packed in wire 'battery
cages,' some missing most of their feathers, with open sores and burned beaks,
and dead fowl caged with the living." Read
the full article.
You can help. The best way each of us can make a difference for hens
is simply by choosing egg-free foods. Visit TryVeg.com
to learn more about compassionate eating.
Click here to see the images and captions from these investigations.
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