Submitted by Sherry Wernicke, Riverside
I was most grateful to Alexander Soule for his recent article in the CT Insider, “Thousands of chickens were killed in CT fire. Now legislators are taking a closer look.” This recent fire, which took place at Hillande Egg Farms, claimed the lives of between 100,000 and 140,000 birds—all kept in a single shed.
On most industrial egg farms like Hillande, chickens are crammed into cages so small the birds can’t spread their wings and are given less than the space of an iPad on which to live their entire life. These cruel conditions deny almost everything that is natural to hens. In addition to being inhumane, this confinement also increases the spread of diseases, like Salmonella. Leading consumer advocacy groups support cage-free reforms specifically to decrease foodborne illness.
Sadly, this is not the first time mass tragedy has affected Hillande Egg Farms, which by the way, is our state’s only cruel “factory farm.” But there is an opportunity to enact change in Connecticut. HB 5398, which is currently pending in the CT legislature, would phase out the cruel caging of egg-laying hens, along with mandating that eggs sold in Connecticut be from cage-free facilities. It would allow hens to perform important natural behaviors like flapping their wings, walking, perching, dustbathing and laying eggs in nest boxes. This is far more humane than being locked in cramped, barren cages for their entire lives.
If you want to make a difference, buy your eggs from local farms or make sure the carton specifies cage-free or even better, free range or pasture raised. And please join me in contacting your state representative and state senator and ask them to call HB 5398 for a public hearing in the Environment Committee.
Eleven states have banned the inhumane and unsafe practice of caging egg-laying hens. Connecticut should do the same. In addition, two hundred of the United States’ largest food companies have committed to switching to a 100% cage-free egg supply, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Costco, and Target. Let’s follow their lead in taking a stand against animal cruelty by asking our legislators to support HB 5398.
Sherry Wernicke