This month, students have been given a choice at one dining center: They can purchase a “cage-free” breakfast, which allows students to purchase their eggs from hens raised in cage-free facilities, instead of from hens confined to battery cages. Currently, Fire ‘N Spice Grill at the Hamilton dining complex gives students the option to upgrade their meal to a “cage-free” one for an additional dining point.
Why is it important for students to choose cage-free eggs? It is because there are many detrimental effects to factory farming and battery-cage facilities. Hens raised in battery cages suffer intense confinement their entire lives. Limited to less space than a sheet of paper per animal, the hens cannot even spread one wing, and suffer infections, bone weakness, and fractures. Hens raised in a cage-free environment, however, have the opportunity to engage in many natural behaviors such as dust bathing, perching, and foraging. Furthermore, Certified Humane cage-free facilities prohibit the use of growth hormones and antibiotics, and are some of the only farm facilities to participate in third- party auditing.
Here at the UO this change comes at the same time as another breakthrough this month. Burgerville, a 39-restaurant chain throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, has become the first restaurant chain to refuse to carry battery cage eggs. Burgerville was paired up by the Humane Society of the United States with Stiebrs Farms, the only Certified Humane egg facility in all of Oregon and Washington. If students want the University of Oregon to also make a more dramatic switch, they should say so with their dollar at Fire ‘N Spice Grill. Students should also send a letter to Tom Driscoll, the director of dining services, thanking him for the option and requesting that he make an even bigger impact by purchasing more cage-free eggs, particularly Certified Humane cage-free eggs.
Monica Kerslake
Law student