To the Editor: Re “ Suddenly, the Hunt Is On for Cage-Free Eggs ” (front page, Aug. The rooster watches over the flock protectively and often participates in a hen’s egg-laying ritual, an extremely important and private part of her life. 12): While this is a step in the right direction toward reducing the animal abuse inherent in all factory farming (from the chicken’s point of view), it’s still a long way from what nature intended. MORE

Thought-provoking article in the Boston Globe.some green thinkers are now coming to a surprising conclusion: In exceptional circumstances, they say, the only effective way to protect the environment may be at the barrel of a gun. For example, a government might refuse to protect - or even willfully destroy - its own natural treasure, as when, in the 1990s, Saddam Hussein's regime drained the wetlands that were home to the persecuted Marsh Arabs. MORE

I buy pasture-raised meat, milk and eggs from local farmers who I know personally, because the animals are healthier than industrially raised animals, and I find that the quality is better. I hope everyone who prefers local and pasture-raised animals will speak up and protect the source of their food and health. To the Editor: Re “ Plan for Tracking Animals Meets Farmers’ Resistance ” (news article, Dec. 13): I live in rural Pennsylvania. MORE

In recent years, the prevalence of disease-causing bacteria in meat, poultry, and eggs has risen sharply, which is why health authorities insist that these products be carefully handled and thoroughly cooked, if they are used at all. or eggs. However, 12 states, namely, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming and Wisconsin [Imagine, The Dairy State doesn't protect a woman's right to nurse!], MORE

Most interesting for me was the mental lock most people have that we vegans are always looking to break or find the key to: Why do good people who understand what happens to animals for unnecessary products such as “steak” or eggs, continue to consume such things? MORE

This may be because there were no males to mate with, or she did not have any eggs fertilized. She may become territorial and protective of these “puppies”, which can actually cause problems for some households. A false pregnancy is a term used to describe a female dog showing signs of pregnancy, lactation and nursing, but never produces any puppies. MORE

Environmentalists recognize the meat industry as extremely ecodestructive – including fish, dairy, eggs, feed crops with their massive use of water & topsoil and toxic runoff killing rivers and oceans, and the killing of billions of free-living animals to protect farmed animals and feed crops. Responsible Policies for Animals Members & Friends! MORE

I shall endeavor to protect and take care of all living creatures. One cannot produce eggs or dairy products on a large scale without the wholesale exploitation of animals. One might think that eggs and dairy products are still preferable to meat on the grounds that "At least I am not contributing to the unnecessary killing of animals" but that too is false. Eggs and dairy products also contribute to all the environmental problems listed above. MORE

They’re about protecting a system that produces cheap food. The idea that eggs from free-range chickens are somehow morally superior to other eggs is, frankly, weird. To the Editor: Re “ Don’t Presume to Know a Pig’s Mind ” (Op-Ed, Feb. 20): Blake Hurst, a former hog farmer and president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, cautions that “we can’t ask the pigs what they think.” But we can ask, and they can answer. MORE

This modest proposal would bring a smidgen of comfort to millions of hens used for egg production. While some have suggested the egg industry should police itself, history shows that industries based on the backs of the disenfranchised do not voluntarily soften the suffering of those they exploit—all the more so when the victims are millions of hens the public never sees. Consumer boycotts and protective laws are desperately needed. MORE

Animal Welfare Groups Win Industry Backing for First-Ever Federal Regulation of Hen Welfare Groundswell of Public Support Results in Full Court Press for Nationwide Law Protecting Chickens to Replace State-by-State Initiatives WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. history, the United Egg Producers (UEP) has agreed to support national legislation that will, upon enactment, improve the welfare of all laying hens in the nation. A press release I received from the Farm Sanctuary. MORE