Less meat, more plants

A chicken egg is not flesh. It's ultimately a sack of nutrients covered in a shell. It's not cannibalism. If they don't have a rooster then no, they couldn't have been fertilised. Good on that person for providing their chicken a natural diet. What does it matter to you? Depriving natural carnivores like cats and dogs of meat because you're imposing your views on innocent animals is cruel. Just my opinion.

[Edited by Amin: Please keep the discussion focussed on the topic, not the individuals involved in the discussion. If posts become argumentative they may be edited or removed.]

One again I know that a rooster is needed.. But even if there is no rooster the eggs are still a substance in which came from the animal... That's the same as saying its ok to use the bones of animals so long as its not the flesh...also have you heard of bile farming; it's still wrong!

I was just expressing my own views no need to attack me for it; your entilteled to your own opinion but your not entitiled to put people down about theirs; my opinion Is that it is wrong...if you have a problem with that then keep it to yourself!

Um and just out of curiosity are you guys that are for feeding eggs to chickens vegitarian or vegan; if vegan why would you choose to not eat eggs yourself but still feed them to another life form... I don't get it, i wish to understand your view even though I may not agree I think it will help to understand why you see it in a different way and may also help me in future advocating thanks!

Forums all yours to shove your opinion down as many throats as you see fit. I've asked for my account to be deleted.

Sorry to hear that you feel I have 'shoved' my opinion down your throat by simply expressing my views... I have not personally ever attacked you for yours and so I only expect the same in return... Good luck in the future!!

chickens eating their own eggs is no different an animal drinking it's mothers milk, both are simply nutrients created by the mother that support growth. animals are just that, animals, and as the owners of those animals it is our job to provide them with the best diet we can, whatever we know that to be, regardless of our personal beliefs. i understand your point, but i hope you can be open minded enough to understand that what she is doing is what she believes to be the best for her animals. personally i applaud her for that.

To my understanding, when hens are left to their own devices they will often eat their unfertilised eggs - for the nutrients (especially calcium). It requires nutrients to lay eggs, and so egg production is physically demanding on their bodies. So if an egg doesn't serve it's intended purpose of producing offspring, then the hens can benefit from recouping some of the nutrients they've lost by eating the eggs.

I agree, it seems odd and as someone who doesn't eat eggs, I can't say I'd want in on the action. But if it's a natural behaviour that is beneficial to the hens and does not cause anyone any suffering (and in fact may prevent hens from suffering calcium deficiency, and thus brittle bones), then it doesn't bother me.

On a related aside... I've occasionally had conversations with friends about whether I'd eat eggs if I had backyard chooks. My answer is usually 'no, but I might offer the eggs to a neighbour who would otherwise buy cage eggs'. But I was intrigued a little while ago, when a vegan friend made the case to me that if she had hens she would leave the eggs for the hens - because the nutrients from unfertilised eggs can play an important role in ensuring they don't become deficient in anything. I thought this was an interesting argument to make.

Thanks for your view. It is quite disgusting when you put it that way - about them eating it to get back what they lost in producing it... sort of like saying drinking your urine gives you back the otherwise lost nutrients (apparently your urine contains more nutrients then that which is absorbed by your body)... which is what allot of people do YUK!

Like us they can get all the nutrients they need via protein rich grain as well as vegetable scraps so really my understanding of it is that people say they do it because it is good for them... but when it comes to them eating meat they say 'yes we need the nutrients but we can get them else where'... to me it is the same with the chickens they don't need to eat their eggs...

which to me are both gross...

Also yes while she/he may being doing what they believe to be right, i was merely expressing my view and leaving it open for other to do the same; in saying that, chickens are more then capable of getting the required nutrients from other sources such as high protein grain and vegetable scraps so I feel it is important to advocate about it...

Hi,
Good going brother because I became also a vegan for the same reason and I am also making the distance from the chicken and age too.

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Cateringonthemove

You're right, they don't need to. But there is nothing wrong with it - it is causing no harm to any animals, so there is no problem. It is a natural behaviour - and I know some vegans deem other natural behaviours, such as feeding pets meat, to be cruel - but in this case it causes no harm to any animals and is beneficial to their health.

Every person who keeps chickens or has studied their health and behaviours - including many vegans - agrees that there is no problem with chickens eating their unfertilised eggs. I know it's your opinion, but I honestly have no clue where you are getting the information to form and back up said opinion.