Swap Cruelty to Chicks for These ‘Eggs-cellent’ Vegan Eggs
The evidence couldn’t be more yolk and white: Eggs belong to chickens, not humans.
Are Eggs Good for You?
If you’re thinking about chicken eggs, the answer is clear: No! Chicken eggs, a natural part of a chicken’s reproductive cycle, are not meant for humans. Hens aren’t egg machines—they’re caring mothers.
Whether sold by the dozen in grocery stores or bundled at farmer’s markets, eggs are a product of cruelty. The egg industry exploits hens, steals their eggs, and crams them into metal wire cages or sheds. Dismissing the suffering of chickens simply because they don’t look like us is speciesist and wrong. And don’t be misled by humane-washed labels “free-range” or “cage-free.” All chickens exploited in the egg industry suffer in filthy, overcrowded conditions. In the United States, male chicks born on hatcheries that supply farms that sell eggs with “humane” labels are deemed useless by the industry. They are ground up alive shortly after hatching.
Here are some DOs and DON’Ts when it comes to eggs.
1. DON’T shop for Eggland’s Best.
This company is good with the spin but still jam-packs millions of chickens in buildings where they’ll never set foot outdoors. Hens are caring mothers who “talk” to their chicks before they hatch and teach them to recognize their mother’s voice in a flock.
DO shop for WunderEggs Plant-Based Boiled Eggs.
WunderEggs are the first vegan hard-boiled eggs on the market, and they’re gluten-free, soy-free, and paleo-friendly.
2. DON’T fund Nellie’s Free Range Eggs.
This two-faced brand tried to deceive consumers about its disingenuously named “free-range” eggs—but PETA’s eyewitness footage tells another story. Look at how hens lived on a farm that supplied eggs to Nellie’s—which are labelled “Certified Humane.”
About 376 million hens are raised for eggs in the U.S. every year. Farmers cram these inquisitive birds into cages or sheds, exploiting the loving mothers for profit.
DO let us know if you were misled by false claims about “free-range” eggs.
3. DON’T pay for Vital Farms.
All farms get their chickens from hatcheries, where workers kill male chicks since the industry does not see them as profitable. The egg industry kills about 350 million male chicks every year. They’re typically tossed into trash bags to suffocate, gassed, or ground up alive.
DO try JUST Egg.
All the protein, none of the cholesterol. Use JUST Egg products to make pillowy omelettes, delicious French toast, and more.
4. DON’T buy Cal-Maine Foods (Kroger).
A PETA investigator documented that hens had no place to stand or lie down except on the wire flooring of their cages. Unable to spread their wings in severely cramped conditions, many hens resorted to pulling out their feathers. Workers at this factory beat chickens against metal boxes and gassed them before dumping them—some still alive—into the back of dump trucks.
DO take action for animals.
There are multiple ways to help. Make your voice heard. Demand companies do better. Send your friends a free vegan starter kit. Sign our pledge to go vegan.
5. DON’T pick up eggs from Trillium Farm Holdings (Walmart).
In one incident, PETA’s undercover investigator found a severely injured hen still alive in a trash bin. A supervisor had clumsily attempted to kill the bird and then let her languish for two more days before another worker finally killed her. PETA caught one worker pulling a live hen’s head off.
DO pick up PETA’s favorite vegan eggs that are kind to chickens.
Check out these easy cooking replacements like applesauce or ground flaxseed for all your baking needs. BeLeaf’s vegan fried egg, made from only natural ingredients, is the perfect topper for a breakfast scramble or sandwich.
Crack the Cruelty With Vegan Eggs
The most meaningful action you can take to help chickens is to stop eating them and their eggs. Instead of thoughtlessly boiling an egg, consider how hens care for their young and how roosters recognize one another—and speak up for chickens suffering in the food industry with the click of a button:
Looking for unique Easter treats? Swap out the usual sweets for these thoughtful, animal-friendly Easter prizes that everyone will love.
Follow an egg from ovary to outside, learning what happens to a hen’s body when she lays an egg.
From melt-in-your-mouth croissants to decadent apple, almond, and lemon cake, these PETA-approved baking recipes don’t require eggs. Time to get baking!
