Ellen Pompeo talks backyard chickens on 'Ellen'

[gmendoza]

Ellen Pompeo, best known for her character Meredith Grey on the hit ABC series "Grey's Anatomy," appeared on "Ellen" yesterday to talk about her career, family and backyard chickens.

The 42-year-old says she recently acquired the hens and one rooster — and she does her best to keep them protected from coyotes and the occasional hawk. "I do let them roam free for part of the day," she told DeGeneres, "because they get agitated if they're all cooped up. They're in the coop most of the time for their safety, but they are allowed to roam four or five hours a day."

Ellen congratulated Pompeo on her chickens, saying that she would like to follow in her footsteps one day. "We have neighbors that have chickens, we get our eggs from those chickens, 'cause they're happy, they're really happy chickens," she said.

Related story on MNN: Jennifer Aniston raising backyard chickens

That statement from Ellen is a bit odd considering she's the poster child for veganism, but perhaps she means her wife, Portia de Rossi, eats the eggs? Otherwise, methinks Ellen should drop the vegan label. No need in confusing people further that eating eggs is part of an animal-free lifestyle.

 

[galanie]

What Ellen said made sense to me, actually. Most vegens are against cruelty and exploiting animals. Therefore I never have been able to understand why they would not eat eggs from "happy" chickens like most backyard ones are. After all, they're going to lay the eggs whether anyone wants to eat them or not. And they will not sit on every egg laid to try to hatch chicks. So they're happy eggs from happy chickens that would just go to waste if someone didn't eat them.

So eating these eggs wouldn't be promoting 'animal abuse' at all.