Thanks for asking this and clearly giving the issue thought and care!
In short, the lives of “pasture-raised” hens are still, in my opinion, one of the worst existences imaginable, even in the best of cases. Speaking for the US:
The hens have parents and their parents’ conditions are not captured by the certification.
The hens should have had brothers, but they are killed the day they hatch, typically by being ground alive while fully conscious.
The above is true across the board because the same hatcheries are used across the industry.
Pasture-raised is not a term regulated by the USDA. Egg companies have been consistently called out and sued for their false advertising.
The few farms that do actually give hens access to the outdoors still face a plethora of environmental conditions that harm their welfare: exposure to parasites, exposure to disease (including Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which has killed over 17 million birds since the current outbreak began), exposure to extreme elements, and exposure to predation.
Hens on farms with exposure to viruses like Avian Influenza are killed in horrific ways, often by “ventilation shutdown” through which they’re baked alive.
Regardless of where they live, the hens are all the same intensively bred breeds and they all experience a plethora of excruciating and lethal health conditions caused by laying eggs at an extremely unnatural rate: the highest known rate of ovarian cancer of any species, prolapses where their reproductive tract literally falls out of their bodies, impactions from egg material they couldn’t push out, sepsis from that egg material. I wrote about this in more depth on HuffPost years ago.
No individualized care, prolonging their suffering.
They are killed when they are 18 to 24 months old. Their undomesticated ancestors can live 30 years. With appropriate care, they can live a decade.
They are killed in horrific ways, but you probably already know that part.
This is just a brief overview. Anecdotally, some of the worst conditions I’ve seen were on “pasture-raised” farms.
In your shoes, I would consult with a veg-friendly nutritionist to come up with an individualized diet plan that will be sustainable for you, meet your health needs, and align with your ethics.
Anecdotally, some of the worst conditions I’ve seen were on “pasture-raised” farms.
I’m very surprised by that anecdote actually! Would you mind elaborating? I was prepared for “better than other certifications, but still awful” but not “worse, actually”
I’m also curious for your personal take on “beef and dairy only” diets from a welfare impact perspective
Thanks for asking this and clearly giving the issue thought and care!
In short, the lives of “pasture-raised” hens are still, in my opinion, one of the worst existences imaginable, even in the best of cases. Speaking for the US:
The hens have parents and their parents’ conditions are not captured by the certification.
The hens should have had brothers, but they are killed the day they hatch, typically by being ground alive while fully conscious.
The above is true across the board because the same hatcheries are used across the industry.
Pasture-raised is not a term regulated by the USDA. Egg companies have been consistently called out and sued for their false advertising.
The few farms that do actually give hens access to the outdoors still face a plethora of environmental conditions that harm their welfare: exposure to parasites, exposure to disease (including Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which has killed over 17 million birds since the current outbreak began), exposure to extreme elements, and exposure to predation.
Hens on farms with exposure to viruses like Avian Influenza are killed in horrific ways, often by “ventilation shutdown” through which they’re baked alive.
Regardless of where they live, the hens are all the same intensively bred breeds and they all experience a plethora of excruciating and lethal health conditions caused by laying eggs at an extremely unnatural rate: the highest known rate of ovarian cancer of any species, prolapses where their reproductive tract literally falls out of their bodies, impactions from egg material they couldn’t push out, sepsis from that egg material. I wrote about this in more depth on HuffPost years ago.
No individualized care, prolonging their suffering.
They are killed when they are 18 to 24 months old. Their undomesticated ancestors can live 30 years. With appropriate care, they can live a decade.
They are killed in horrific ways, but you probably already know that part.
This is just a brief overview. Anecdotally, some of the worst conditions I’ve seen were on “pasture-raised” farms.
In your shoes, I would consult with a veg-friendly nutritionist to come up with an individualized diet plan that will be sustainable for you, meet your health needs, and align with your ethics.
I’m very surprised by that anecdote actually! Would you mind elaborating? I was prepared for “better than other certifications, but still awful” but not “worse, actually”
I’m also curious for your personal take on “beef and dairy only” diets from a welfare impact perspective