Are free-range eggs ethical?

EU free-range standards require only 4 m² of outdoor space per bird and the outdoor door can be small, so most hens rarely leave the shed. All laying hens — free-range or not — come from hatcheries that gas or macerate male chicks at one day old.

When laying rates drop after ~18 months, the industry considers hens 'spent' and slaughters them for pet food and cheap meat, at less than a tenth of their natural lifespan.

Try using 'Kala Namak' (Indian black salt) in a tofu scramble to get the exact sulfurous smell and taste of eggs without the cruelty. A 2022 investigation found that even 'certified humane' farms often use beak-trimming to prevent stressed birds from pecking each other in crowded conditions. Transitioning away from eggs eliminates your contribution to the systemic culling of billions of male chicks who are considered economically irrelevant by the industry.