The Battle Against Battery Cages Comes to Minnesota - By Ben Acaso

Since the start of the year, CAA has been working hard to get University Dining Services (UDS) to switch to Certified Humane cage-free eggs. This is part of a nationwide campaign coordinated by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to get colleges and universities to switch to cage-free eggs, which has been successful at over 80 schools as of this printing. Currently, UDS purchases their eggs from battery cage facilities. Confining hens in battery cage facilities is one of the cruelest practices in factory farming. The Certified Humane cage-free label represents a strict set of standards endorsed by HSUS and many other animal advocacy groups. If successful, this campaign will save hundreds of thousands of hens from the torturous conditions of battery cages. Whether or not UDS makes the switch, the campaign will succeed in educating tens of thousands university students on the plight of some of the most abused animals on the planet.

The cruelty in battery cage facilities is extreme, and the Michael Foods facility providing eggs to the University, which CAA volunteers have visited and documented, is among the worst. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends giving each hen four inches of 'feeder space', which translates to packing four hens in a cage just 16 inches wide. The hens cannot stretch their wings or legs, and they cannot engage in normal behaviors like flapping their wings, dust-bathing or escaping other aggressive chickens. Constantly rubbing against the wire cages, they suffer from severe feather loss, and their bodies are covered with bruises and abrasions. Nearly all laying hens have part of their beaks seared off without anesthetic in order to reduce injuries resulting from excessive pecking, an aberrant behavior which only occurs when the confined hens lack stimulation and become frustrated. In Certified Humane cage-free facilities, there are no cages. The chickens are given access to perches and nesting boxes which are provided so that the hens can behave more naturally. The standards also require that the chickens be routinely inspected and given veterinary care if necessary. Although Certified Humane eggs are not completely free of cruelty, they are leaps and bounds ahead of battery cages.

Over just four weeks, CAA has collected over 2,000 petition signatures from supportive students urging the University to switch to cage-free eggs. More than 1,000 of these signatures are from residential hall students, which represents about one sixth of the total population of the residence halls. This is only after an hour and a half of petitioning at each residence hall.

Hamline University has already agreed to switch to cage-free eggs if the U of M switches, since they do not have enough purchasing power on their own. CAA is also sharing its experience and knowledge from our campaign with groups and individuals at other schools interested in launching a similar campaign.

The campaign has gained a lot of support from other campus groups. The Graduate and Professional Student Association, The Council of Graduate Students, The Minnesota Daily, and the UDS's own student advisory committee have all endorsed the switch to cage-free eggs. Although the Residential Hall Association did not endorse the switch for residential halls – on very questionable terms - it did endorse the University switching its eggs for non-residential locations. Based on this wide-spread support, CAA is continuing to work with UDS urging the switch to cage-free eggs. CAA is also currently assisting dozens of activists around the state with cage-free egg campaigns at their own schools.