veganon

Hi Mike! Thanks for the work you have done to draw attention to these issues. What can you tell us about the trend of states passing Ag-Gag laws and how that would impact investigations like the ones you have done?

Not OP, but I can try to answer this. I grew up in a farming family, and just up the road from a major regional egg production facility.

The problem is that even chickens that are treated relatively well are a product of an industry that is cruel and exploitative. Hens used for egg production come from hatcheries, where male chicks (none of which can lay eggs) are killed immediately after hatching. Each year, hundreds of millions of these vulnerable beings are suffocated or ground up alive to produce fertilizer or feed.*

The hens at your friends farm were almost certainly bred for egg-laying purposes, and almost certainly came from a hatchery where the males were macerated shortly after hatching. Also, if your friends send those chickens to a slaughterhouse when they are done producing eggs they will probably suffer a horrible death.

*source

Come join us at /r/vegan! You will find lots of links to get you started, including this one.

Come spend some time on /r/vegan. This question gets asked almost every day, and the sub has compiled a great list of resources. There is also a great community of people who will show you support. Many of us came from meat-eating and farming families as well.

From his online profile:

Mike became vegan in 2006 and spent almost 4 years working as an Undercover Investigator for PETA and HSUS, focusing on animal agriculture. His cases include hog farm suppliers to Smithfield and Hormel, both of which lead to criminal charges. Mike joined COK in 2014 as the Investigations Manager, and is advocating for public awareness, legislative change, and holding farm workers and corporations accountable for the atrocities they are committing.

Mike also has a strong passion for vegan fitness and hopes to help break the stereotypes that surround veganism as a member of PlantBuilt’s Powerlifting team. He shares his home with his wife Lindsay, dog Maddy, and three cats Molly, Boy, and Grey Matter.