It all starts with those fluffy little chickadees that we all "coo" over. So innocent and tiny, these little balls of fluff are separated between males and females at a fairly young age. They have been engineered specifically for laying egg purposes, essentially having no economic value. So when the males are separated from the females, they are usually thrown aside into trash cans, leaving them to "suffocate or are crushed by the weight of others." Or in some other cases, the male chicks may be "ground-up" alive.
The females hens are kept in extremely small cages that are lined up in rows, upon rows. These cages restrict the hens from stretching their wings and feet. The hens become bored and frustrated from these severe conditions and begin pecking excessively. In order to stop this, the farmers cut the hens beaks off without any anesthetic. This process usually involves cutting through bone, cartilage and soft tissue.
Each hen roughly produces about 250 eggs per year. Typically after one year of egg production, these hens are considered "spent." They are then sent to be disposed of.
I recently read in a article how the "spent" hens were ground up by a wood-chipper ALIVE. According to article, this is a common practice in farming.
All of this for an egg. A fair warning. Although the egg carton may have "cage free" on the package DOES NOT mean the hen hasn't been mutilated. Because of the crowding, their beaks are still removed in a painful way. So just be aware the next time you purchase some eggs...
