Egg Farm Investigation Bombshell

On Tuesday, September 1st, Mercy For Animals broke its most recent undercover investigation – exposing chicks being thrown, dropped, hung, mutilated without painkillers, and ground-up alive at the world’s largest egg industry hatchery. Take a look at what goes on in typical egg farms all across the world. Over a million people have logged onto YouTube to view the heart-wrenching hidden camera footage - making it Wednesday’s #2 most “viral” video on the entire Internet:

Following the release of the undercover footage to the Associated Press, and three news conferences in Iowa, the shocking video depicting male chicks being torn apart in a massive grinder has made headlines around the world. From Cleveland to China, Austin to Australia, consumers around the globe have been given an eye-opening look into the cruel and violent truth behind the modern egg industry.

Citing the troubling findings of this investigation, Mercy For Animals is calling on the nation’s 50 largest grocery chains to require that all eggs sold in their stores bear a label reading, “Warning: Male chicks are ground-up alive by the egg industry.”

DB SAYS: Like the cows’ milk industry, there are costs of producing eggs. Male chicks are useless and make no money for the chicken or egg industry. Female cows need to be impregnated to produce milk, and the male calves, being equally useless, are turned into veal. Anyone who thinks that no one gets hurt in the commercial producing of eggs and milk is gravely mistaken.

Television stories covering the investigation, such as the Associated Press, CBS, Fox, and local ABC stations are bringing the issue of factory farm cruelty into the living rooms of families across the country.

With over 500 news stories on MFA’s investigation, one of the egg industry’s best-kept secrets – that over 200 million “useless” male chicks are killed each year – is finally being brought into the public consciousness.

Comment boards, Twitter accounts, and blogs around the world have been filled with words of outrage from consumers about the abuse.

And in the last few days, MFA received hundreds of Vegetarian Starter Kit requests from compassionate consumers who wish to no longer support the cruelty perpetuated by the egg industry.

Click here to read what some (former egg) consumers are saying.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us expand our investigative work.

The Do-Good Dad: Father’s Day Guide

Father’s Day is this Sunday. If you haven’t gotten anything for dear old dad yet, in addition to making a donation to your favorite organization in your father’s name, here are some good gift ideas:

Bid on one of a million amazing things at CharityBuzz. Check out the Dads & Grads auction. From hanging out with Patrick Dempsey at Daytona to meeting Bill Clinton, sitting in box seats at the US Open, watching the Yankees play the Red Sox, taking a swimming clinic with Michael Phelps, or a Kenny Chesney autographed Guitar! There is more cool stuff than I can list here. Just don’t bid on the fishing trip. Ugh.

BREAK THE BANK! If you are loaded, your dad might like a Tesla Roadster (starts at $101,000) or Model S – both electric performance vehicles from Tesla Motors. The Model S is capable of rocketing from 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and traveling up to 300 miles on a single 45 minute charge (starts at $49,900 which is not that bad)!

For the rest of us who can only afford to splurge a little bit…

Organic Dress Shirts form CULTURATA (check for local stockists)

Matt & Nat Mens’ Accessories: Shop HERE.

Or if you’re in NYC, go to this event:

Make a donation to Mercy For Animals before Father’s Day on June 21st and Rory Freedman, co-author of Skinny Bastard will match your contribution, dollar-for-dollar – totaling up to $5,000! Donate $100 or more and you will receive an autographed copy of Skinny Bastard – a guide for macho men on eating well and getting in shape the healthy and cruelty-free way!

Get dad into shape w/ The Engine 2 Diet, Thrive in 30, and Skinny Bastard!

Kicks! Check out our favs for dad from Bourgeois Boheme, NOHARM, and NOVACAS:

A Recycled Billboard “George Dopp Kit“

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Organic Grooming from Dr Bronner, and Herban Cowboy!

Breaking Undercover Investigation & The End of Lab Rats

1. Eggland’s Worst.

A new Mercy For Animals undercover investigation reveals shocking abuse at New England’s largest egg factory farm – Quality Egg of New England (QENE) in Turner, Maine. The hidden camera video shot in early 2009 gives a startling glimpse behind the closed doors of one of the nation’s leading egg producers, exposing the rotten truth behind battery cage egg production – heinous cruelty to animals. CLICK HERE for the full story.

2. Are the lab rat’s days numbered?

Thanks to DAWNWATCH for the tip on this amazing article about scientists finally realizing how innacurate animal models are in finding cures for human conditions.

Bloody Tuesday

1. Columbus Day Just Passed. Maybe it’s time we all passed on Columbus:

[The] Doctrine of Discovery is a thin veil for white supremacy. As European nations were competing with one another for riches, they were able to share in an ideology that exerted their superiority over darker people around the world. This doctrine was used to validate the mass murder of people for profit and the enslavement of them. It continues to do so today, said Morris, as there has never been a dialogue around the colonization of the Americas and slavery and how the U.S. was born into the world dripping with blood from head to toe.

2. Please watch Oprah today!

3. Mercy For Animals Undercover Investigation

A new Mercy For Animals undercover investigation is throwing back the curtains on one of California’s largest factory egg farms – exposing the routine abuse that takes place behind the closed doors of our nation’s egg industry.

Horror Chick Flicks & Supreme Scramble

1. The BEST tofu-scramble I have ever had is at Bliss, an unassuming hole-in-the-wall organic, vegetarian brunch and dinner joint, in a prime location on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg. The music is innocently and charmingly terrible, the staff is adorable and sweet, and the homemade cashew cookies and chocolate cupcakes are addictive. The winner, though, is the amazing, savory, soy scramble that keeps me coming back at least once a week.

718-599-2547

**Cash Only**

191 Bedford Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11211

Neighborhood: Williamsburg

Cross Street: Btwn N 6th & N 7th Sts

Public Transit: L @ Bedford Ave

2. Trader Joe’s has finally abandoned Gemperle Enterprises Eggs after friends of DB, Mercy For Animals, exposed undercover investigative footage of the gross neglect and cruel treatment of hens at Gemperle Enterprises’ factory egg farm in California. Like the Westland Meat/ Hallmark Beef recall, this has generated a flurry of media attention across the nation, including stories on CNN.com and by the LA Times, and the Associated Press. Not surprisingly, when people really see what’s happening on factory farms, it’s almost impossible not to withdraw financial sponsorship of behavior that is so contradictory to our own conscience.

The decision came on the heels of MFA’s news conference in Los Angeles, which revealed the grocery chain’s business relationship with Gemperle Enterprises, where employees were caught on hidden camera kicking, throwing, and stomping on live birds.

Although this announcement is a good first step, Trader Joe’s must do more. Please write to the CEO of Trader Joe’s and urge him to take further action to prevent cruelty to animals by adopting a strict policy against the sale of battery-cage eggs.

Egg Laying chickens are probably the most abused animals, and unfortunately, these behaviors are considered normal on typical egg farms. Egg alternatives, click here:

Advice on substituting eggs from Post Punk Kitchen.

DB Etiquette Recommendation: The best way to avoid supporting activities with no regard for the suffering of living, feeling animals is to stop eating eggs and adopt a healthy, plant-based diet.