There are some articles, although I think they typically consider conventionally raised (mostly factory farmed animals), not free range ones, except cattle. Cattle often live on pasture, but chickens are rarely free range; cage-free systems are mostly very densely packed barns.
I would guess so. There are still some potential welfare concerns: harms from producing eggs almost daily, slaughter, chick culling, maybe beak trimming, maybe keel bone fractures, predators. I haven’t really looked into this, though.
I also don’t know how often they need to be on pasture to qualify as “pasture raised”.
Also spent hens are almost always sold to be slaughtered, where many are probably exposed to torture-level suffering. I remember looking into this a while back and only found one pasture farm where spent hens were not sold for slaughter. You can find details for many farms here: https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/
There are some articles, although I think they typically consider conventionally raised (mostly factory farmed animals), not free range ones, except cattle. Cattle often live on pasture, but chickens are rarely free range; cage-free systems are mostly very densely packed barns.
From a negative utilitarian perspective including invertebrates: https://reducing-suffering.org/vegetarianism-and-wild-animals/
If I recall correctly, from a classical utilitarian perspective excluding invertebrates: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.592.6722&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Assuming wild animals have bad lives on average: https://reflectivedisequilibrium.blogspot.com/2013/07/vegan-advocacy-and-pessimism-about-wild.html?m=1
Do you know if the eggs they sell as “pasture raised” are any better?
I would guess so. There are still some potential welfare concerns: harms from producing eggs almost daily, slaughter, chick culling, maybe beak trimming, maybe keel bone fractures, predators. I haven’t really looked into this, though.
I also don’t know how often they need to be on pasture to qualify as “pasture raised”.
Also spent hens are almost always sold to be slaughtered, where many are probably exposed to torture-level suffering. I remember looking into this a while back and only found one pasture farm where spent hens were not sold for slaughter. You can find details for many farms here: https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/
Thanks Michael these looks like interesting links
I’m still left with the impression though that this is a bit of a niche interest, and unsure why.
To a new comer to EA, veganism almost seems axiomatic