The Chicken Comes First

In this 2 minute video, briefly see the conditions of a conventional egg farm. Does this make you want to eat eggs? If you do eat them, this is why you should only buy free-range eggs, ideally from farms you research.

Before buying eggs, ask: How much room do the chickens have to range in? Do they debeak? How do they dispose of male chicks (conventional farms actually throw them in the trash can and suffocate them. There's video of it on YouTube if you search for it). Be aware that "Cage Free" is better than caged, but still results in cramped indoor quarters. "Free range" means the chickens have access to outdoors and can live more naturally. Wild Oats, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's no longer carry conventional cage eggs; good for them.

If you don't want to support factory farming in these conditions, don't buy conventional eggs or order anything in restaurants that contains eggs. When baking at home, use only free-range eggs or substitute 1 T. ground flax seed, mixed with a little water or the oil in the recipe, for an egg. You can find more egg substitutes here or by searching the web, and more videos of conventional chicken living conditions by searching YouTube.com. (Hope you have a strong stomach).