The non-governmental organization for the protection of animal rights organized the campaign “Justify the chickens in cages” in the run-up to Easter. This time, we want to put more pressure on Lithuanian companies that use eggs from hens kept in cages and sell them.
On behalf of the NGO “Tušti narvai”, the company “Vilmorus” conducted a representative survey of residents’ opinions about the purchase of eggs and attitudes towards the conditions of caged hens in March of this year. Commenting on this latest study, Gabrielė Vaitkevičiūtė, founder of Tuščių narvų, animal rights defender, emphasizes that “even 8 out of 10 (82%) Lithuanians believe that the conditions of chickens kept in cages are not good enough”.
She regrets that some of the traders with a large share of the market still did not commit to giving up no. 3 marked eggs, because for most buyers, price is probably the main criterion when choosing eggs.
“I believe that if everyone could see the cruel and unsanitary conditions in which caged hens are kept, the environment of keeping laying hens would become a more important aspect than the price,” TV cooking show presenter Beata Nicholson comments on the results of the study. She became the face of the campaign “Justify the chickens in cages”.
According to the “Vilmorus” study in question, only 15.8 percent survey participants believe that the living conditions of egg-laying hens raised in cages are good enough. And even 82.2 percent. respondents answered the opposite – the conditions are not good enough. Two percent of the respondents did not answer the question.
G. Vaitkevičiūtė, a member of the public, tells horrible stories about commercial poultry farms: that laying hens are treated like egg-laying machines, animals are tortured all their lives in cramped, parasite-infested cages, until they finally become cannibals.
In Lithuania, more than 150 companies have already given up or have committed to giving up chickens kept in cages for eggs. These are large shopping centers and other such brands as “Vilnius mayonnaise”, “Assorti”, “Mantinga”, etc. The non-governmental organization urges others to follow the example: the company “Sanitex”, “Aibê” and the stores operating in rural areas “Koops”.
According to G. Vaitkevičiūtė, the situation on the market is improving: “Compared to last year’s data, last year only 16% said that they take into account the conditions of keeping chickens when buying eggs, this year this number has almost doubled (29.5%).” .
ŪP portal info.
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