UPDATE
Walmart (parent company of Asda) have agreed to phase out eggs from caged chickens by 2025. Hopefully Asda will do it quicker than that. There are 40 million hens kept in “enriched cages” that’s 13 birds to the square metre. Walmart have a plan to make it’s suppliers adhere to the “five freedoms“, lets hope they can do it sooner than 2025.
Sainsbury’s, Co-op Waitrose and M&S have already phased out eggs from caged birds.
I’m going to let Lucy Gavaghan explain her campaign to end caged egg production in her own words. If you think she’s right sign the petition, we already have https://www.change.org/p/tesco-ban-the-sales-of-eggs-from-caged-and-barn-kept-hens . Personally we’d like to see all chickens raised free range.
My name is Lucy Gavaghan and I am 14 years old. I have been campaigning to end caged hen farming through letter writing for several years now. I have five hens myself, two of them are ex- commercial barn hens and one of them once lived in commercial colony cages. They are amazing animals to be around. Keeping my own hens and knowing their past has made me determined to end caged and barn farming. I found out that Tesco is one of the few supermarkets that still sell eggs from caged and barn kept hens.
TESCO
After trying to end this through my own letter writing I have come to find that the written opinions of one person creates little impact on a company like Tesco. However I believe that with the help of like-minded people on social media, we can make Tesco listen and create an impact.
Food production affects everyone. Very few of us, however, know the truth behind the processes that leads to the food sold in our stores. A prime example of this is the egg productions industry. Lots of eggs sold to us in stores come from hens kept in barns and “enriched cages”. The conditions in these “enriched cages” are cramped and very restrictive. The hens never see the light of day or get to experience a natural lifestyle. The welfare conditions in barns are similar. Per hen, the space available in a commercial barn is virtually the same as in the “enriched” cages– often they can barely move or stretch their wings. In addition, the hens never get to experience the real outside world. Which I believe is an essential element for a hen to live a happy and healthy life.
These methods of egg farming are cruel, unnatural and inhumane. Tesco is one of the biggest supermarket chains in the country. If it stopped selling cage and barn eggs it would drastically reduce the number of hens who spend their lives in cages and barns. It would also send a message to other supermarkets that this is an option that is realistic and achievable. Companies such as Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencers and Waitrose stopped selling eggs from caged hens years ago and new companies are listening to the public and realising that something has to change — recently Mcdonald’s UK responded to a petition and agreed to stop using eggs from caged and barn kept hens.
Phasing out caged and barn eggs isn’t going to be easy, but if Tesco take a stand it would be a huge step to eventually ending cages and barns in the commercial egg farming industry.
Please sign this petition and take the first steps towards freedom for hens. https://www.change.org/p/tesco-ban-the-sales-of-eggs-from-caged-and-barn-kept-hens