Controversial Egg Farm Gets Unlikely Ally: PETA—With a Caveat

For Immediate Release:
July 20, 2026

Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382

As residents push back against a proposal to construct an egg farm in Defiance County that would confine more than 200,000 hens, PETA sent a letter today to Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge stating that the project should go forward—if the facility is built with a glass wall, and educational tours are scheduled for children, so that the public can see how hens suffer for eggs and decide if that’s what they want to eat.

Millions of egg-laying hens are confined in filthy warehouses each year, and a new white paper from PETA reveals that “cage‑free” egg systems—like the one proposed in Defiance County—do surprisingly little to improve hen welfare and, in some cases, can even cause more suffering. Feather pecking, fighting, and cannibalism are more common in cage-free systems, where frustrated hens are packed in barns by the thousands; often suffer keel bone (sternum) fractures, respiratory infections, and foot burns; and can even suffocate in crowd crushes.

“If egg facilities had glass walls, the sight of hens crammed in filthy warehouses with barely enough room to spread their wings would make anyone go vegan, which is why operators hide them,” says PETA Vice President Danielle Katz. “PETA is urging the Ohio Department of Agriculture to reject any proposed egg factory that isn’t transparent about the ‘cage-free’ misery happening inside it.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA also offers a free vegan starter kit on its website for anyone ready to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Baldridge follows.

July 20, 2026

Brian Baldridge

Director

Ohio Department of Agriculture

Dear Mr. Baldridge:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals —PETA entities have 10.4 million members and supporters worldwide, including many across Ohio, to support the proposed construction of an egg farm in Defiance County, but only with a special condition — require that one wall be made of glass and educational tours are scheduled for children, so that members of the public can witness firsthand the conditions the chickens endure each day.

The reality of cage-free is far different than what people imagine it to be. Modern egg facilities confine tens or even hundreds of thousands of birds inside crowded warehouses where they don’t even have enough room to spread their wings without hitting other birds. The public rarely sees these operations, making it easy to overlook the suffering that occurs behind closed doors.

Chickens are smart, sensitive animals who feel pain, empathy, and love, form complex social structures, and dream at night, as humans do. Studies show that they can anticipate future events, communicate with their chicks while they’re still inside the shell so that they recognize their mother’s voice when they hatch, and have distinct personalities.

A glass wall would allow consumers, community members, and policymakers to make informed decisions based on what life is actually like for the animals confined inside these facilities.

The residents who have pointed out how cruel, environmentally destructive, and unhealthy it is to raise and kill sentient beings are correct. Meanwhile, vegan foods continue to proliferate on grocery store shelves. But should you insist on allowing a factory farm to be built in Defiance County, at least require it to be transparent about what goes on inside. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Danielle Katz

Vice President of Campaigns