You know I am mostly vegan. You may also know I have three lovely chickens. So do I eat eggs? It’s a question I am frequently asked online and in real life, so here I’ll address it.
DISCLAIMER: These are my thoughts and my thoughts only. I am not trying to generalize the points of view of all vegans, all chicken owners, or any other groups. I know there are people who will disagree with me to varying degrees. That’s cool. I’m open to hearing your thoughts via email or in the comments below, but please keep your messages friendly. Thanks!
This is a vegan recipe site, so you’re expecting me to say that eating eggs is immoral and I would never think of doing it. Here’s what I really think: eggs are gross. Torturing chickens for their eggs is not cool. Store-bought eggs are not my thing. But I’m not opposed to eating home-grown (home-lain?) eggs as long if that’s your thing.
My family and I have three of our own hens who live pretty awesome lives. They have a safe coop and pen to spend the nights in, but they also get to explore the yard. (You can see more of Pepper, Penny and Ulu here, here, here, and here.) They eat local and organic feed, plants, bugs, and loads of kitchen scraps. They’ve become buddies with my dog Cupcake, who has taken a role to be their protector even though she’s probably smaller than they are.
Unlike milk from cows, chickens will produce eggs no matter what. It’s a sign that they’re healthy and functioning properly. I've often heard the common misconception that hens need a rooster in order to lay eggs. Nope- the chickens will ovulate like humans do without the help of the opposite sex.
That means the that chickens will continue to produce eggs, whether humans are there to take them or not. This, to me, is more ethically okay than keeping cows pregnant and force-milking them. That’s just wrong.
My family and I have three of our own hens who live pretty awesome lives. They have a safe coop and pen to spend the nights in, but they also get to explore the yard. (You can see more of Pepper, Penny and Ulu here, here, here, and here.) They eat local and organic feed, plants, bugs, and loads of kitchen scraps. They’ve become buddies with my dog Cupcake, who has taken a role to be their protector even though she’s probably smaller than they are.
Unlike milk from cows, chickens will produce eggs no matter what. It’s a sign that they’re healthy and functioning properly. I've often heard the common misconception that hens need a rooster in order to lay eggs. Nope- the chickens will ovulate like humans do without the help of the opposite sex.
That means the that chickens will continue to produce eggs, whether humans are there to take them or not. This, to me, is more ethically okay than keeping cows pregnant and force-milking them. That’s just wrong.
Once or twice a month, I’ll purposefully eat the eggs from my hens just to get them out of the kitchen. (I never promised to be vegan, since my parents still pay for my food.) I don't eat eggs because I want to, I do it because I have them available to me for free and they taste okay. There aren’t ethical or moral arguments against this that I can think of, since my chickens live pretty awesome lives and are not tortured for their eggs in the slightest. I think of it more that the eggs are side effects of the healthy and happy lives my little winged friends lead.
When I make scrambled eggs for breakfast or an egg and avocado toast for dinner, I always feel guilty. Normally when I eat animal products, I do it accidentally or to be polite to a person I care about who really just wanted to share some buttery poundcake or something.
When I make scrambled eggs for breakfast or an egg and avocado toast for dinner, I always feel guilty. Normally when I eat animal products, I do it accidentally or to be polite to a person I care about who really just wanted to share some buttery poundcake or something.
I have noticed that when I eat eggs, the smell of them gets stuck in my nose, and suddenly I spend the whole day thinking I smell like eggs. Has anyone else experienced this? My chickens’ eggs are more potent than store-bought eggs, and they taste like whatever the chickens have been eating. It’s strange to sit in a class and catch a whiff of my eggy-smelling skin, but it’s likely all in my head.
Anyway, to wrap up: I think store-bought eggs are gross and the way they're mass-produced is horrible. Eggs from chickens you know have not been mistreated are totally fine. I eat eggs sometimes, but I don’t really like their taste. I’m not saying they’re healthy or good or anything, but I just want to share my thoughts in case there is another quasi-vegan out there trying to justify his/her/their own egg consumption.
Anyway, to wrap up: I think store-bought eggs are gross and the way they're mass-produced is horrible. Eggs from chickens you know have not been mistreated are totally fine. I eat eggs sometimes, but I don’t really like their taste. I’m not saying they’re healthy or good or anything, but I just want to share my thoughts in case there is another quasi-vegan out there trying to justify his/her/their own egg consumption.
