The price of eggs is ever-present in the collective American mind and has been for quite some time. As H5N1 influenza (more commonly known as “bird flu”) rages across the country, already inflated egg prices have hit record highs.
But our demand for the cheapest eggs possible is part of what fueled the current bird flu outbreak. To protect ourselves in the future, we must protect chickens, too.
Researchers have long connected poor conditions for farmed animals with the spread of infectious diseases. “There is growing recognition that industrial livestock production, in which large numbers of animals are kept in crowded and stressful conditions, can lead to the emergence, transmission, and amplification of both viral and bacterial diseases,” researcher Peter Stevenson explained in a 2023 review.
Looking at the average American egg farm, it is easy to see how these facilities become infectious disease factories. At the end of 2022, the U.S. had 308 million commercial egg-laying hens. According to World Animal Protection, more than 95 percent of these hens live in factory farming conditions.
Chickens hatched on factory egg farms lead horrifying lives. Male chicks are nearly always killed, often thrown into grinders while they are still alive. That’s awful enough, but female chicks have a dismal life ahead of them. As they grow, they are often held in battery cages, which are small wire enclosures where several birds are crammed together. According to PETA, the average factory farmed egg-laying hen spends her life in a space no larger than a piece of printer paper. Hens are not just in close contact with the other birds in their cage — battery cages are often stacked so that feces and urine from the top layers of cages falls into other enclosures.
Life in “cage free” farms is not much better, with animals still crowded in tight conditions and rarely, if ever, seeing the outside world. There have even been documented cases of dead chickens being left in the same space as live chickens. One of the most publicized instances of this was a scandal that embroiled Costco a decade ago when activists documented disturbing abuse and living conditions at the facility of an egg supplier for the retail giant.
Lack of sanitation and close quarters are obvious animal welfare issues, but they should also concern those who want to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. These conditions make it incredibly easy for disease to pass from bird to bird at a very fast rate. All it takes is one sick hen to infect the rest and cause an outbreak.
Farmed animal conditions are typically not the only factor driving infectious disease outbreaks. Water conditions, sanitation, food contamination and air quality can all contribute to the spread of disease. There’s no doubt that most infectious disease outbreaks are a combination of things going wrong.
However, H5N1 influenza is unique, and the reason why can be found in the nickname “bird flu” itself. According to the Centers for Disease Control, avian influenza A viruses are naturally occurring in many wild birds. The CDC also notes that while other animals may be the source of an outbreak in humans, it is rare. Those instances also almost always occur after another animal eats or comes into contact with a bird.
Limiting the risk of disease can go hand in hand with more humane treatment of egg-laying hens. While it may be too late to contain fully our current bird flu outbreak, changes in how we treat egg-laying chickens can make a difference in the future. For the sake of the public good, factory farming conditions should be eliminated.
Many consumers are already committed to buying eggs produced with stricter animal welfare standards. One example of this is purchasing eggs labeled “Certified Humane” by Humane Farm Animal Care. This certification is rigorous with ongoing inspections. “A farm approved as Certified Humane must provide conditions that allow hens to express their natural behaviors and needs. This means no confinement for the chickens — they’re free to dust bathe, perch, and roam as they please,” explains the certifying organization.
Companies running factory farms will be reluctant to change the conditions for hens in their facilities. While it is slowly growing, there is still very little political will to firmly regulate conditions for egg-laying hens. This is one reason why consumer demand is important. Shifting market demand away from factory farms and toward companies that standardize humane treatment for hens will start to force change.
Purchasing eggs from companies that treat their hens more humanely may also cost consumers a little bit more money. Humane treatment of animals is something worthwhile on its own. But if creating better conditions for chickens helps protect us from disease, can’t we all agree that a couple extra dollars a month is worth it?
Kelvey Vander Hart is a senior fellow at The Wilberforce Institute.
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