#5

Cage free simply means that the chickens are free to roam as they please (within a confined area) but not a “cage,” the distinction between cage-free and free range is that unlike free range chickens cage free chickens don’t have to be let outside, “wandering can be limited to a hen house. The hens may still live in overcrowded and unhealthful conditions” (Watson 2019). On the scale of chicken freedom while cage free definitely isn’t the worst it isn’t the best either, “pastured” is the ideal with chickens being able to roam how they please, on the other end of the spectrum (with no fun designation) you have chickens who will live their whole life in a small cage (Shain 2017). When you picture cage free chickens you definitely don’t think about a metric ton (exaggeration) of chickens shoved into a small room (without cages of course), the term is clearly misleading. I’ve known about the process for chicken meat for a and the egg process pales in comparison but I’ve for whatever reason, maybe I am heartless I’m not sure, I have never had an issue with eating chicken meat even though I am well aware of the ethical dilemma surrounding the harvesting of chicken meat. For this reason I am a little desensitized to eggs because it is not nearly as brutal as meat. Unethical, absolutely but worse absolutely not. Theres a cost for everything and some people aren’t willing to pay the extra whatever amount of money to give the chickens better lives. The company’s know this and bring down their prices by giving the chickens terrible (and cheap) conditions. At the end of the day its the consumers’ choice not the producer. (285)