Let my chickens go
By Josh Balk, Outreach Coordinator, Factory Farming Campaign, The Humane Society of the United States
Published on Monday, April 3, 2006
To the Editor:
Dartmouth should be proud of its dining services' decision to switch to cage-free eggs ("DDS switches to eggs from cage-free chickens," March 30).
Unfortunately, most eggs in this country come from hens confined in barren cages too small for them even to spread their wings. These birds are unable to engage in many of their most important natural behaviors such as nesting, dust bathing, perching or even walking on solid ground. To put their living conditions in perspective, each hen is given only 67 square inches of space to live -- that's less space than a standard sheet of paper.
By switching to cage-free eggs, Dartmouth is taking a stand against one of the cruelest confinement systems in all of factory farming. Other colleges should follow Dartmouth's socially responsible lead.