I was given some Eggland's Best (EB) egg cartons and the concept of a vegetarian cage free chickens was really bothering me, as we all know there is no such thing. So I went to their website, and clicked on contact us. I sent this letter:
I have a question regarding your eggs. I'm a bit concerned about the labelling on your egg cartons. I noticed right away that you said your eggs came from cage free chickens. Now, I understand that chickens that kept in an enclosed run can also be considered cage free. In any event, unless your chickens are kept in small confined cages, they must have access to the outdoors. Or at the very least the inside of a barn. If that is the case, there is no possible way that your chickens could be "vegetarian fed". Chickens are NOT vegetarians, and readily eat any bug or worm they happen across. I'm sure that if they have access to the outdoors, or an inside of a barn, they indeed DO eat bugs. How can you be allowed to call a cage free chicken vegetarian? To me, it would seem to be false advertising.
Thanks for your time.
Angela Billings
And their reply was:
Angela Billings,
Thank you very much for alerting us to your concern. When we say that our hens are vegetarian fed we are stating that we never put any animal byproducts in the feed for the hens. This is something that cannot be assumed because some farms use animal byproducts and food waste in their feed. It is possible that in there cage free environment our hens come across insects that they may eat. This is not part of their typical diet but it is possible. This would be an insignificant part of their diet because they always have access to feed throughout the barn. We are sorry if you misunderstood the description but we were referring to the feed that is given to the hens. I hope I have answered your concern. Let me know if you have any other questions.
John Courchesne
Lab Manager
Eggland's Best Inc.
1400 S Trooper Rd Suite 201
Jeffersonville, PA 19403
(610)265-6500
www.eggland.com
What ya'll think about this?
I have a question regarding your eggs. I'm a bit concerned about the labelling on your egg cartons. I noticed right away that you said your eggs came from cage free chickens. Now, I understand that chickens that kept in an enclosed run can also be considered cage free. In any event, unless your chickens are kept in small confined cages, they must have access to the outdoors. Or at the very least the inside of a barn. If that is the case, there is no possible way that your chickens could be "vegetarian fed". Chickens are NOT vegetarians, and readily eat any bug or worm they happen across. I'm sure that if they have access to the outdoors, or an inside of a barn, they indeed DO eat bugs. How can you be allowed to call a cage free chicken vegetarian? To me, it would seem to be false advertising.
Thanks for your time.
Angela Billings
And their reply was:
Angela Billings,
Thank you very much for alerting us to your concern. When we say that our hens are vegetarian fed we are stating that we never put any animal byproducts in the feed for the hens. This is something that cannot be assumed because some farms use animal byproducts and food waste in their feed. It is possible that in there cage free environment our hens come across insects that they may eat. This is not part of their typical diet but it is possible. This would be an insignificant part of their diet because they always have access to feed throughout the barn. We are sorry if you misunderstood the description but we were referring to the feed that is given to the hens. I hope I have answered your concern. Let me know if you have any other questions.
John Courchesne
Lab Manager
Eggland's Best Inc.
1400 S Trooper Rd Suite 201
Jeffersonville, PA 19403
(610)265-6500
www.eggland.com
What ya'll think about this?