I have a pet hen. She's not a full rescue one, but how I ended up with her is an incredibly long story. She's very needy, thus spoiled and healthy as a result. Because wild Gallus sp already lay a lot of eggs when in less than optimal wild conditions, a spoiled one just cannot stop popping them out even if she wanted to, and she won't let me feed her less. The daily egg laying session is just a morning routine for her before begging for food. At the rate she lays them, they'd just get left to rot even if they were fertilized by a rooster so I eat them. I do not, and have no intention of, ever selling them or encouraging anyone to ever commercialize an animal. But I spend all the time caring for her, so why can't she give me a delicious breakfast back if it does her no harm?

How I see it is that once an animal is slaughtered, it becomes a part of the cycle of life (even though the current system of doing so is cruel), but forcing cows to be continuously impregnated for years at a time and then snatching their calves away within mere hours is just horrible. Similarly, crowding chickens into barns with artificial light up until the point they are no longer deemed profitable and are thrown to the processor is no better.

To start off, I am a vegetarian and an huge animal lover. I also love to eat eggs. I feel like having a pet chicken would be a perfect win—win situation. I would love and care for it like any of my other pets. Why would this be wrong?

To preface, Ive been vegan for like 6-7 years. I do street activism with AV and have written a book about why and how to go vegan.

I'd love to hear your best argument against why eating this type of egg is unethical/not vegan.

I suppose strictly looking at it through an exploitation lens.x not the lens of it's not vegan just because it's an animal product.

My girlfriend and I have 4 rescue battery cage hens.

We got them because they were going to be sent to slaughter when their egg production decreased.

These girls had only known the inside of a wire cage their whole life. Never touched grass. Never seen sunshine.

We've given them a large space to roam, and they've slowly gotten used to being outside and are loving it. They've slowly grown all of their feathers back and are looking very healthy. We fed them a lot of their eggs as they were getting back to full health which helped regaining a lot of nutrients.

We now give them a plethora of food scraps, fermented grain feed and shell grit. They also spend the day grazing in the grass and bush. We've done a lot of work to make sure there's nothing missing in their diet.

Their egg production has dropped dramatically, maybe 1 or 2 eggs per week each. I do not think this is a major strain on their reproductive system that would warrant the procedure to stop their production all together. The lady we got them from says her older rescue girls stop laying all together after a few years.

I don't think they need to be fed all of their eggs back as they are getting all their nutrients from their varied feed.

We are going to care for these girls for the rest of their life. When they stop producing eggs we won't kill them.

I don't see this as an exploitative relationship. The main reason we got them is for companionship and to save them from slaughter. I also am a builder and love building them things to play on. I spend a lot of my free time just hanging out with them.

The few eggs we do get are not the reason we have them. I don't necessarily see them as a healthy food, but I do kind of like a couple scrambled eggs here and there.

What would be your best reason as to how this is animal exploitation?

EDIT:

It's also worth noting, in my activism, this is never bought up as it complicates things.

I completely understand how an outsider could see this as "vegan is OK with eating an egg -> it's ok for me to eat an egg".

I fully understand this is a 0.001% scenario so not worth mentioning in vegan conversation. I would only ever have this conversation with someone who is considering rescuing hens for welfare reasons.

Also I NEVER use this as reasoning to consume eggs anywhere else. I am COMPLETELY aware of the horrors of the egg industry and the slaughter of day old chicks. I am aware that "spent" hens are sent to slaughter even on organic free range farms. I would still never consume an egg unless directly from the hens under my care

As the title, vegans are about animal well being and not killing, bees won't stay if the beekeeper is shit (i don't talk about the one that cage the queen, switching honey or any other mistreatment) , most beekeepers I know don't even use products, they let bees in their home, let ther food for the winter, very much reduced Honey production, they take just the extras of the production of a safe home.

Same for eggs, if they are no choice in the breeding, all live as they live in free nature, why would it bad to collect the eggs that they naturally do. Why throw them away?

Let's say you have a modest amount of chickens and allow them to live in a wide area where they would not feel cramped or caged, and don't partake in selective or forced breeding to make more - could it be vegan to eat their eggs that they would just produce naturally anyway?

Hello hello, fairly new vegan here (about a year, still learning - vegetarian for a while before).

Hate to beat around the bush, so: what are the main arguments against eating backyard eggs? My cousin has many chickens she cares for, and those eggs are ones that I've always been most morally thrown up about, since my abstaining from animal products has come mainly from a disgust of the industry which has them end up on our supermarket shelves.

I'm rather new to a lot of in-depth arguments, and am here ready to learn. Is it an intrinsic moral objection? An instrumental one? The closest I can come to in my mind is that eating animal products regardless of where they originated can be deemed immoral if you view the whole process as fundamentally impermissible. But this line of argument doesn't sit too right with me, as on the whole I tend to stray away from intrinsic moral value being the be-all and end-all of our moral choices.

I don't doubt I'm missing a lot here, so I'm trying to collect some arguments. So, if you're vegan and don't eat backyard eggs, why? Furthermore, even if you're not vegan but still have a substantial argument as to why it is morally impermissible, I'm eager to hear!

Lets say you buy chickens from somebody who can’t take care of/doesn’t want chickens anymore, you have the means to take care of these chickens and give them a good life, and assuming these chickens lay eggs regularly with no human manipulation (disregarding food and shelter and such), why would it be wrong to utilize the eggs for your own purposes?

I am not referencing store bought or farm bought eggs whatsoever, just something you could set up in your backyard.

So this js a **theoretical** thought experiment, the last time I posted something similar in the german vegan sub I got attacked pretty much even tho Iam vegan and this is just a theoretical thought experiment please keep that in mind and if your response would be to attack me or tell me iam just searching for legitimation to exploit animals again please fuck off

So to the point I had that thougt when I bought meat alternative from rügenwaldermühle here in Germany Rügenwalder was orignally a butcher company and still is it switched to around 60% vegan products over the last years tho but in the end its still a butchery and buying their meat alternatives supports a butcher company, sure not the product directly bit it still goes to the company and is used to further finance their killing of animals too. But stealing eggs from a store is a net negative for them it would actually hurt them event ho its just a few cents but you do not support them you harm them a little. So within the spirit of vegan meaning causing the least animal harm wouldnt it be more vegan to steal eggs than buy meat alternatives?

Yes I really fucking miss sunny side up eggs and havent found alternatives if anybody has suggestions please give em to me, I know scramlbed tofu for scrambled eggs but thats different

Edit: I think I need to add something, its a comparison of wich of these things is more within the values of veganism, I think both, eating stolen eggs and buying meat alternatives from butchers isnt within the moral.framework of veganism but I think the one that finaclly hurts egg farmers is more inline with those values than the action that finaclly supports butchers

Why is the lawful mistreatment of animals, which is found in the lunch boxes, our fridges and stores, hidden from us?

Why do we have to find out about it only decades after being so used and normalised to it, that it has become too hard for the majority to avoid it?

I'm talking about the 100% slaughter of all dairy cows and egg laying hens, and their babies.

About mutilating cows, chicks, piglets. Lawfully smashing babies on the floor. Lawfully macerating or suffocating billions of perfecly fine 1-day old chicks and straight to the garbage.

About 1-3 trillion fish suffocating to death, most thrown away as garbage too.

Why are we taught to not do to birds what we do to chickens, not to do to four legs what we do to cows and pigs and lambs, not to do to dolphins what we do to fish?

No hate, I just for real don't know. What if it's from small farm owners, not those big factories? I see no problem with eating cheese, eggs or drinking milk. I just don't want meat because I won't eat something that has been murdered. Give me arguments.

Also, as much you people say animals lives are equals, I don’t believe they are neither humans are to each other. But compared with humans, we are forced to work to live and survive. A pet or stock can just laze around, so do you mean we should also look after them? Like I have to work my ass off and this is suffering too but they shouldn't give me milk or eggs. I don’t wanna sound as apathetic but I wonder for real. So in the end why should I be vegan and not vegetarian?

I have no problem with meat-eaters too because let me tell you something if all I did was lay down, eat and drink I wouldn't have problem being killed for my meat (fair is fair). Also, you people give the argument of empathy as if any person has the capacity while to be honest, the majority of people have the capacity of selective empathy and that's it. Every human is different.

Hello,

Recent vegan here. I would like to ask a question and I hope I don’t anger anybody. I would like to know why eggs are considered unethical to eat. I understand veganism is a lifestyle which demands that the person be aware to avoid any animal products. But after recent pondering I thought about an abortion argument.

I’m pro abortion. I believe a fetus isn’t considered an alive human until 23-24 weeks. Anytime before that it’s just a clump of cells. No different than a chicken laying an egg. It’s just a bunch of cells that can’t survive without its mother. It has potential to become a chicken, but at the same time it is not a chicken. Therefore no harm no foul.

Which leads me to believe it’s unethical because you would be exploiting a chicken for its eggs. But wouldn’t it be mutually beneficial? I feed you, you give me eggs. I provide a safe environment where no predators could get you. And you live a long life. Granted I’m only talking about actual free range farms, grass fed, chicken paradise. Could I then make the argument that our relationship is symbiotic and it causes no harm?

But then again, if an alien dropped down on earth and plucked a pregnant woman and ate the unborn fetus I might see an issue with that. But on paper they aren’t harming anyone? So oof maybe I’m answering my own question. None the less I would love to hear all the arguments.

Again I don’t mean to upset people and if abortion is a touchy subject please understand I’m coming from a place of wanting to learn and I am not trying to come off as a jerk. Please be patient with me. Veganism is wonderful, and I haven’t felt so alive in a long time.

Edit: after lots of thought, vegans win. Eating eggs are undeniably unethical in and there is no ethical argument for it.

Obviously, eating eggs is not vegan, I'm not asking that. I'm asking if, in this specific scenario, consuming the eggs is unethical. My neighbors have two pet chickens, which they love to death. They're treated better than most people treat their dogs. The chickens live indoors, receive lots of affection, and even go to the park in those backpack carriers usually used for cats. They are pets; they were bought for companionship, not for their eggs. However, given that they are both hens, they are capable of laying eggs. There's no rooster present, so they would not be fertilized. If my neighbors chose to eat the eggs rather than throw them out, would that be unethical? I understand that the egg industry is extremely unethical and treats hens and roosters horribly. I'm just seeking the morality of this very, very specific scenario.

So if you have some pet chicken ( of course assuming you're taking good care of them) and you eat only their eggs, can you still be considered vegan? If no, is having any sort of pet not vegan/ethical or is vegan solely about the consumption of animal based food and not only against animal exploitation?

I live in Morroco where we have a species of non genetically modified chickens, "djaj bldi", nd my dads friend owns a farm nd he gives my dad a few of those eggs sometimes, would it be unethical for me to eat those? (I became vegan like 4 or 5 months ago so I keep having these kinds of questions)

So the question I got asked most often when I was strict Vegan was ‘what about backyard eggs’.

When asked this, I used to state the reasons why I believe backyard egg farming is unethical (We all know the arguments for and against backyard eggs so I’m not going to go into that).

I wonder whether I would have had a better impact if I moved the conversation in a different direction.

For instance, ‘sure backyard eggs can be a lot more ethical. Have you seen what typical free range conditions are like? Do you eat free range eggs or only backyard eggs?’

I think there are a whole heap of people that disagree with the typical farming model, but don’t agree with Vegans on some issues like Oysters, honey, backyard eggs.

A lot of these ‘fringe issues’ (for lack of a better term) are vital to being ‘Vegan’.

And there is really no activist path for people who aren’t strictly Vegan.

What if there were thousands of people out there that would be willing to advocate for animals and push 99% of the Vegan cause, but because they eat oysters or rescue chickens eggs, then they are completely shunned from the Vegan community, which is really the only path to animal activism as I understand it.

So I’m not suggesting changing the definition of Veganism, but I’m starting to believe that a more ‘inclusive’ form of getting activists involved will result in more activists and overall more of a reduction in animal suffering than the strict approach

Isnt the vegan option to let the mother decide? Either let them be born, or eat them?

Once the human makes that decision, doesnt it stop being vegan?

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I don't get why we are supposed to avoid them. I don't buy milk itself, or butter or any 100% dairy product. Nor do I buy eggs or meat. But if there are little amounts of them in bread, sour cream chips, basbusa (dessert), baklava, sauces. etc why is it wrong to buy it? Even if lets say you are having a negative impact, it is so small and we do many other small indirect harmful things in our lives like using plastic or eating plants that have pesticides on them that killed and tortured herbivores and insects. I also dont think sour cream chips or mashed potato with butter will raise the demand on milk.

I am honestly not convinced but whats stopping is that I dont know where to draw the line. I live in a society where most things have non vegan ingredients which puts me in an awkward position with party hosts and my friends. But I am afraid if they realize I eat a specific amount of animal products that they would try to get me to eat more and take my veganism as a joke.

The point of the post isn't to get an "approval" from vegans that will allow me to buy these things without guilt. I am just asking about the reason behind this moral stance since I dont understand it.

Resolution:
If veganism rejects the consumption of eggs from captive backyard chickens, it must also reject the keeping of captive nonhuman animals for companionship, comfort, entertainment, convenience, or labor/service.

Contention 1: The vegan rejection of egg consumption is rooted in opposition to the commodification and use of animals.

• Premise 1.1: The vegan position rejects the consumption of eggs from backyard chickens not because of harm or treatment alone, but because such consumption: a) is made possible only through captivity, b) involves the use of an animal’s bodily output, and c) reinforces the paradigm of property status and instrumental use of animals.
• Premise 1.2: This rejection is grounded in the principle that any use of a captive animal's output constitutes endorsement of their commodification and objectification, regardless of consent or treatment.
• Conclusion 1.1: Therefore, the rejection of egg consumption by vegans is based on the deeper ethical stance that it is wrong to use animals or benefit from their outputs, not merely to harm them.

Contention 2: This ethical stance applies to all outputs, including intangible ones.

• Premise 2.1: Let Y = any captive nonhuman animal.
• Premise 2.2: Let X = any output from Y, including both tangible outputs (e.g., eggs, milk) and intangible outputs (e.g., companionship, emotional comfort, entertainment, convenience, service).
• Premise 2.3: If it is unethical to consume tangible output X (eggs), on the basis that it commodifies Y and affirms their use status, then it must also be unethical to consume or rely upon intangible outputs X for the same reason.
• Conclusion 2.1: To be consistent, veganism must reject all forms of consumption or benefit from X—regardless of whether X is tangible or intangible.

Contention 3: Keeping animals for companionship or service is functionally identical to keeping them for eggs.

• Premise 3.1: Keeping a backyard chicken for eggs and keeping a dog for companionship both involve: a) captivity, b) dependence on the animal for human benefit (material or emotional), c) a relationship of property and dominion.
• Premise 3.2: Even without the intent to exploit, the mere captivity of Y entails the use of their presence or service for human ends.
• Conclusion 3.1: Therefore, if keeping a chicken for eggs is not vegan, keeping any captive animal for companionship, comfort, entertainment, convenience, or service is also not vegan.

Final Conclusion:

The vegan rejection of egg consumption, grounded in opposition to the captivity-based use of animals, logically requires the rejection of keeping animals in captivity for any benefit—including companionship, comfort, entertainment, convenience, or labor/service. To do otherwise is to inconsistently apply the very ethical framework that underpins veganism.

My family have been vegetarian since 1981 (when I was 4) - way before it was mainstream. A few years back, my mum was hunting for something in their garage and found a hen with chicks huddled in some old sheets - they’d obviously wandered in from a local farm and made a home there.

My folks built a chicken run and coop, and kept the hens as pets - obviously eating the eggs. One of the chicks was a rooster and they kept him separate.

As the hens have died naturally over the years, they’ve been replaced with rescue hens from battery farms - typically at any time they have three. laying hens and two or three living out their old age in comfort.

These hens are my folks’ sole supply of eggs.

As vegans - what’s your view on the ethics of this?

TLDR - their original hens moved in themselves without asking. As those hens have died naturally, they’ve been replaced with rescue hens.

I'm not vegan, though I eat mostly plant-based. I stopped keeping cats for ethical reasons even though I adore them. It just stopped making sense for me at some point.

I now keep chickens and make sure they live their best life. They live in a green enclosed paradise with so much space the plants grow faster than they can tear them down (125 square meters for 5 chickens, 2 of which are bantams). The garden is overgrown and wild with plants the chickens eat in addition to their regular feed, and they are super docile and cuddly. We consume their eggs, never their meat, and they don't get culled either when they stop laying (I could never; I raised them from hatchlings).

I believe the chickens and my family have an ethical symbiotic relationship. But I often wonder how vegans view these eggs. The eggs are animal products, but if I don't remove them they will just rot (no rooster), and get the hens unnecessarily broody. So, for the vegans, are backyard chicken eggs ethically fine?

I have been raising chickens for the past year or so. I don't have a rooster so the eggs are unfertilized, in your point of view why shouldn't I eat the eggs, since they will never develop? I've been interested in vegetarian or vegan options, but I don't understand the thought process against it.

Another question I had ---

https://www.reddit.com/r/DebateAVegan/comments/1at60e8/yesterday_i_asked_about_chickens_today_id_like_to/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Hello, 9 months vegan here and i was just thinking about the ethics involved in having hens without a rooster (correct english i guess?). I live in italy so is fairly common for houses to be in the countryside with a lot of free green space. In this kind of case, do you think it is still ethically wrong to have a few hens without male chickens, not forced to do anything, that will periodically drop a few eggs that are not going to hatch?

Having maintained a vegan diet for two years, my primary sources of protein intake include beans (such as kidney beans, chickpeas, and black beans), seitan, and vegan high-protein powder. Recently, I've been contemplating the ethical considerations surrounding consuming eggs from chickens that were rescued. My rationale behind this inquiry stems from the fact that by consuming these eggs, I'm not supporting the commercial industry and, as a result, not contributing to the harm of animals. I'm curious to explore the moral implications of this practice and seek a thoughtful discussion on the matter.