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Vegan

Join Mumsnet's vegan community and discuss everything related to the vegan diet.

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Original poster

Would you eat eggs if you knew the hens where they came from?

21 replies

Incitatus · 12/10/2017 10:20

There’s a small holding near me and they have chickens, ducks and geese. You can go and visit them and they’re well cared for and live free range in a lovely environment.

Dh reckons it would be okay to buy our eggs from this place as the birds are well cared for and aren’t treated in that cruel commercial way that other birds are.

I used to keep chickens so have fond memories of wading through chicken poo and chasing them around the garden

OP posts:

Stinkymimi · 12/10/2017 10:23

Well, I would. But I’m not vegan, just largely so. Eggs are one of the hardest things to go without in my opinion, as there is no good alternative. I would miss being able to make decent cakes.

ownedbySWD · 12/10/2017 10:32

Yes, we eat my DM's utterly spoilt hens' eggs. When, as a hike, I sent a link to my DM of an Etsy shop that knits chicken sized jumpers, my DF was seriously considering buying a few!!

We view eggs as an occasional treat, as DM doesn't have a lot to spare.

ownedbySWD · 12/10/2017 10:32

*as a joke

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 12/10/2017 10:34

Yes, of course. I wouldn’t eat a chicken I’d seen running around, though.

brownfang · 12/10/2017 10:35

I know a lot of vegans who aren't vegans for animal rights reasons so they still wouldn't... because they are still prioritising their health, cholesterol or environmental impact and those things wouldn't be different.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 12/10/2017 10:35

Oh, sorry, I’ve just seen this is the vegan topic . Ignore me

CatastropheKate · 12/10/2017 10:37

We have a few hens and we eat the eggs. We also have a few sheep and eat some of the lambs. We do however have a rule (although DH thinks it's daft) about not eating anything we 'know', like a pet lamb.

CryptoFascist · 12/10/2017 10:37

No, modern hens have been selectively bred to encourage over production of eggs, which is damaging to them physically.
I also believe that animals and their by products are not here for humans to exploit, which is why I also don’t eat honey or wear wool.

CatastropheKate · 12/10/2017 10:37

I mean pet lamb as in bottlefed orphan/triplet.

AethelflaedsWhiteGoose · 12/10/2017 10:38

I'm vegetarian, not vegan, but yes I would if you've been to visit and are happy with how the hens are kept.

We have our own hens in the garden who get to free range and scratch about all day. They are very pampered hens and lay lovey eggs for us.

CatastropheKate · 12/10/2017 10:40

Oops, I'd missed the vegan bit too - this thread was in 'active' and didn't check.

CryptoFascist - our hens are quite an old-fashioned breed, laying seasonally and brooding often. Would you see this as more acceptable?

ownedbySWD · 12/10/2017 10:43

Crypto I agree about the modern hens aspect. The whole egg industry is horrible when you really look into it. :(

I struggle with this because we have a dog and two cats so in order to provide for their welfare I am paying into the meat industry. It is a hard one.

ChickensGoBoak · 12/10/2017 10:48

I will eat eggs from my happy little flock of ex battery hens, and use the wool from our two old ewes. I know all are happy, have a less stressful life than I do, and nothing has been produced under duress.

Happy50 · 14/10/2017 23:00

I would eat meat if the animal was hit by a bolt of lightning or similar

KingIrving · 21/10/2017 21:03

Nope, because I am trying to control my IGF. So no animal protein, no matter how happy the animal is

Lozmatoz · 21/10/2017 21:39

Why did you choose to become a vegan?

KingIrving · 22/10/2017 00:46

Me? I have a cancer inducing syndrome and I am trying to lower my genetic risk with a diet based on antiangiogenesis, low IGF , low methionine . Hence why I am vegan. Eating my bodyweight in veggies everyday mostly!
In my case, I not only produce tumours inside me but also on my skin or right under. These are benign, they will never become malignant, but as a side effect of my diet change, I have seen these cutaneous and subcutaneous tumours shrink or disappear. I have talked to my geneticist about it, and I have before and after pictures, but I have been dismissed. I guess I interfere with her research on Avastin.
My syndrome is called NF1. We have a defect on the tumour-inhibitor gene on the chromosome 17.
Another less pleasant side effect, according to my boys, is that I was slowly turning into Trump as I had a slight orange-ish colour . Luckily, it is spring now in Australia, and that orange has turned into a nice tan just by walking to school.

Somersetter · 22/10/2017 16:21

What they do with the male chicks though? Presumably they still kill them which is not really compatible with a vegan lifestyle. [Disclaimer: I'm not vegan so just my opinion]

sweetkitty · 22/10/2017 20:11

Crypto - I agree egg production is really cruel. A hen is only supposed to lay about 12 eggs a year, modern hens have been bred to over produce and their bodies cannot handle it, they literally burn out.

Sisinisawa · 09/01/2018 18:20

No. because it's still supporting the selective breeding of chickens to lay far far more eggs than they naturally should. No also normalises egg eating.

Plus, it just isn't vegan to eat eggs.

Woolfrai · 09/01/2018 23:21

I'm a vegetarian, transitioning to vegan (through veganuary and finding it surprisingly easy).

I didn't eat eggs even as a vegetarian. Purely because, whilst I was undergoing IVF - I had a painful egg collection, the next day I was eating eggs for breakfast and made the (rather silly) connection between my own eggs and chicken eggs - put me off for life. Sorry OP! Only you can make the choice which is right for you.

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