Where can I find "ethical" eggs?

[megansonya]

Does anyone know where I can find eggs from cage-free, vegetarian-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free hens that did not come from layer "factories"? In other words, a place where the hens are either hatched on site or rescued from factory farms? I have been vegan for fifteen years, but my doctor is concerned I'm not getting enough protein, and I have soy and wheat sensitivity issues, so I was hoping to find some "ethical" eggs. Please help if you can, thanks! (I live in Marin County, in the North Bay.)

[kmeldrum]

Hi.
I'd like to address your message in a couple of areas:

"my doctor is concerned I'm not getting enough protein" Are you having a specific problem, or is your doctor just uneasy about veg diets? So many doctors are not up on nutrition and think everyone should eat the way they do. One doctor I would highly recommend in this area is Dr. John McDougall. Dr. McDougall has been studying nutrition and its affect on our health for many years now. His conclusions include: 1) Most people eat WAY too much protein; 2) There is sufficient protein for humans in a plant based diet. No tofu or high protein foods are required; 3) Over-consumption of protein leads to many health problems, including osteoporosis and kidney failure. I would recommend that you check out his website - drmcdougall.com. Two others, among many, who have similar findings: Dr. Neal Barnard of PCRM (PCRM.org) and T. Colin Campbell, author of the China Study, an excellent reference book about the damage that protein can do to our bodies. Please check out their information. You will find it enlightening.

If your doctor has recommended that you eat eggs, I would wonder about his/her understanding of the risks of eating such high fat, high cholesterol foods. If you eat plenty of vegan whole foods - brown rice, vegetables, and legumes, you should get plenty of protein without these harmful additions, which are a threat to your overall health.

"ethical eggs" In my opinion, there is really no such thing, since a chicken lays her eggs to make chicks, not to feed humans. Even chickens in "free range" or "organic" environments are subject to a lot of cruelty. Besides their eggs being stolen, they are forced to produce high quantities of eggs, and once they are not capable of doing that, they end up dying a horrible death to become chicken nuggets. I urge you not to participate in this cruelty. More information can be found at EastBayAnimalAdvocates.org and PETA.org.

Please take the time to look into these issues. And let us know how you are doing.

Karen

[megansonya]

I know about the cruelty of the factory farming industry; that is why I became a vegan over 16 years ago. However, for most of my life I have suffered from major depression and anxiety. Thanks to many years of therapy, including nine months in a mental hospital, I am no longer actively suicidal most of the time, but I am by no means "cured." I still attend therapy every week, and I am still forced to take psychotropic medications whose long-term effects have never been documented, and which are tested on animals. In my quest to stop taking these possibly dangerous and certainly unethical medications, I came into contact with Dr. Julia Ross in Mill Valley.

Dr. Ross has helped hundreds of people overcome substance abuse and clinical mood disorders through nutrition, most significantly by administering amino acid supplements. Multiple blood, hair, saliva and urine analyses indicate that I have some amino acid deficiencies. Knowing that I am vegan, and concerned about my apparent soy and wheat sensitivities, my doctor suggested I try powdered rice protein, but so far I have been unable to find any rice protein powder that doesn't taste like sawdust.

Looking for "ethical" eggs was my idea, not my doctor's, but she approved it. I thought if there were a chicken sanctuary for rescued hens in the area, it might be okay to eat some eggs now and then, especially if they were infertile. It seems to me that my mental and physical health are worth a few useless "menstrual periods" from some happy hens, especially if it means I can stop supporting Big Pharma.

Well, that's all I have to say. If you still can't help me, thanks anyway.

[tammy]

This is a tough situation ... for you .. for the chickens ..

Some vegans who have rescued chickens feed the infertile eggs to their other animals. Maybe you could make friends with someone who has rescued chickens and is vegan. Or you can rescue some yourself.

Check at your local humane society (Marin Humane Society) or even on Craigslist - there are sometimes chickens needing homes, and you can build a safe sanctuary for them.. If you adopt them and care for them, they naturally lay eggs. Although, in the winter months, they naturally don't or lay very few.

[tomas6750]

it's very true that protien is very essential for our health.egg is an important source of protien.it is not possible to find ethical egg which is totally pure.during the disease bird-flu we stopped to eat egg.but it is not true that if i dnt get total pure egg i wil stop eating egg.
_________________
TOMAS MICHAUD - Guitarist, recording artist, music educator. Author of New World Flamenco Jazz - passionate instrumental music that lifts Your Spirit and inspires you Soul.
*Visit http://www.WorldMelodies.com

[HarmonyBear]

Always check Farmer's Markets.

[marry9091]

The only place I've found that does ethical eggs that I would eat is http://www.blackhenfarm.com/index.html but they only sell in Los Gatos and San Jose.
Anyone know of anything closer to Oakland?