all you animal Rights activists should understand wht your saying is wrong. Cages are more humane. You don't understand how chickens think and react, you have no right to criticize these ranchers. Id like to see you manage a few thousand chickens. But if u are stuck in your ways buy eggs from local 4-h members they tend to pamper their pet chickens and it's a great cause to support.

Since the Renaissance era

Free Range isn't really that much better (if at all) that cage-reared chickens if you're concerned about that sort of thing. If you are, find a local farmer and buy from him. The chickens I have are literally free range, they wander all over our property. And to me, you actually can taste a difference between commercial and farmer-reared eggs.

They hurt. look at circus elephants, zoo animals, dogs in laboratories. They develop repetitive movements due to being stuck in captivity. They literally go insane from lack of freedom, mental stimulation. The "meh they are dumb animals who have no feelings" is a way for humans to cope and not feel bad. I am No tree hugger, but animals do have feelings and feel pain, terror, sadness, despair, know when they are about to die in a slaughterhouse.

Your dad is a total jerk...but I don't know what cage-free even means or what it has to do with eggs because the chickens are in the cages, but whatever, your dad's the one that deserves to suffer. Cruelty to animals is NOT okay for whatever reason.

what you really shouldve done is given him the dollar difference. its called compromising..

79 is unable to read that far back. I believe that the mindset is only to take things out of context so they can feel better about themselves, not see the big picture. Ahhh liberals! Gotta love them:)

SmokinPistol is spot on. Cages are much more humane. They're not perfect, but better than letting the chickens kill each other and many other reasons. Misinformation is agriculture's biggest enemy. It's scary how much BS the public believes thanks to the media and organizations like PETA and HSUS. Those of us in the industry have a tough battle ahead fighting that misinformation since its so damn powerful.

OP, if in an area where it is possible, when you have your own place, you can raise your own chickens. You will know exactly where your eggs come from. There are many different breeds of chickens and some are ridiculously cute: polish chickens which have a "feather afro" on their heads and silky bantam chickens are so fluffy, they look like a sesame street character. In my experience, silky chickens are broody and will nest on other chickens eggs and adopt the chicks as their own. Plus they are the friendliest and don't mind being held.

i seriously can't tell the difference between the taste of them, so why should it matter?!