Negotiations with Egg Producers

We explain our concerns regarding the physical and psychological deprivation caused by battery cages, the high incidence of disease and death, the lack of individualized attention for sick and injured hens, the painful beak mutilations battery caged hens endure, the inhumane slaughter of 'spent' hens, and the violent death of all male chicks born into the egg industry. We also ask for a tour of one of their battery cage facilities so we can observe and document the conditions. This tour would help in our future discussions of hen welfare.

Michael Foods defends its well-known Crystal Farms brandname, shifts responsibility for hen care to the egg industry trade organizations, hatcheries, and slaughterhouses; asserts that they "adhere to, and often establish, the best-practices of the egg industry;" and deny us a tour of their facilities because of their "strict biosecurity measures."

We again ask for a tour of their facilities, this time assuring them that we will follow all of the biosecurity measures that their workers must follow and at our own expense. We ask Michael Foods specific questions, including: How do you respond to concerns that battery cages prevent or frustrate hens from engaging in basic natural behaviors that are fundamental to their physical and psychological well-being? Does your one veterinarian (which they proudly mentioned in their first letter) oversee M.G. Waldbaum's 12 million hens which are at facilities in Minnesota, Colorado, and Nebraska?

In this fax, we tell Michael Foods that we will be attending their annual meeting for the sole purpose of sharing our concerns regarding battery cages with their shareholders and getting their input on the situation. We once again reaffirmed our hopes that continued negotiations will bring about a win-win solution.

In this letter, Michael Foods again denies us a tour of their facility. They are effectively saying, "We are not responsible for our own actions. We will not be accountable for our own practices. Talk to United Egg Producers. Talk to the U.S.D.A. Leave us alone!" (Needless to say they did not answer any of our specific questions.)

We explain how their refusal to provide us a tour, despite our willingness to follow their own biosecurity policies, only raises additional concerns that the hens must be living in an extremely disease-prone environment. We voice our suspicion that the industry's long-standing biosecurity policy is purely an industry attempt to conceal their cruel and neglectful practices. For the third time we ask for a visit, promising to follow all of their biosecurity policies at our own expense. We also explain to them that they -- not the industry -- are personally responsible for their actions, and that they can choose to treat their hens better than industry standards. Furthermore, their recently reported record earnings means they have the money to make improvements. Michael Foods does not respond.

We once again ask for a tour and for a response to our previous questions. Michael Foods does not respond.