You may have wondered why don’t vegans eat eggs.
We are well aware that vegans choose to skip eating animals such as fish, pork, and so on. And they also avoid animal products such as cheese and milk.
But vegans also include egg in the list of foods they avoid. Here are the reasons why they choose to do so.
Why Don’t Vegans Eat Eggs
The number one reason why vegans don’t eat eggs is because the production involves exploiting female chickens or hens. Moreover, male chicks are murdered about 15 minutes after they are hatched.
Veganism involves excluding foods that are victims of exploitation and cruelty. Since the production of eggs involves harming the chickens and even chicks along the way, then eating eggs is never a vegan practice.
Speaking of cruelty, the reproductive system of female chickens is exploited throughout the process. They are brought into cages and kept for a while, just so farmers can make profit from their eggs.
Clearly, this is a practice that does not resonate with veganism because hens, being sentient beings, are exploited and harmed.
It is also worth noting that many eggs are sourced from caged and farmed chickens. They are kept in a destitute condition as they are void of the opportunity to roam around freely. Moreover, they are kept there in the cage as soon as they reach an egg-laying age. Afterwards, they are slaughtered once they no longer produce egg as often as they could.
What REALLY Goes On In A Factory Farm
A typical factory farm only provides hens with about 750 cm of tight squared space each. They stand around all day in an uncomfortable place that is cramped. To make things worse, they are given artificial light that manipulates the chickens’ ability to lay eggs, making it more frequent than what is normal.
With more hens producing more eggs, farmers get to profit more. Once these hens reach 18 months of age, they are immediately slaughtered to make room for younger hens. Sadly, chickens live as long as 10 years – so these hens are killed even before they reach their teenage years!
In the case of hens that are not caged, this does not change most vegans’ idea of eating eggs. They still do not eat eggs because the act of taking and consuming eggs is still considered as unethical for them.
For instance, free-range chickens still go through the same conditions that caged hens go through when they are born. Males are gassed and killed soon after they hatched. As for hens, their beaks are trimmed short, which prevents them from pulling out their feathers or pecking. This is what happens to them before they are placed in a cramped cage.
Hence, it makes no difference whether you consume free-range or factory farm egg. The same condition applies to these chickens, which is unethical and cruel overall.
Vegan Alternatives To Egg
Vegans who miss eating eggs always have other options. There are vegan alternatives that still allow them to enjoy the texture and even the flavor of eggs. These include aquafaba, chia seeds, and some other store-bought egg replacement.
You can use these for your baked goodies or other dishes, which are cruelty-free and resonating with the vegan lifestyle.
So, vegans can still get their nutrition from these egg alternatives and without the involvement of animal cruelty.