Spend The Extra Bawk And The Chickens Will Thank You

England, Grocery Store, Inspirational, Sons & Daughters, UK | Related | January 31, 2021

We try to eat consciously in my house. We still eat meat and fish but opt for brands that give the animals a half-decent life before getting culled. For example, in the UK, free-range eggs mean legal requirements for a minimum amount of space and litter for the hens: no more than nine hens a square metre, ten centimetres of feeder a bird, and one drinker for ten birds, by law.

It’s not for everyone, but not having animals needlessly suffer over a few pence just makes sense to us.

I am shopping in the supermarket with my daughter and we reach the eggs.

Me: “Grab a dozen for me, please.”

Daughter: “That’s twelve?”

Me: “Yeah, the big box.”

She grabs the caged eggs as they’re nearest.

Me: “No, not those, the free-range ones.”

Daughter: “What does free-range mean?”

Me: “Just that the chicken has a better life, and we get better eggs. It costs a little more, but I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Daughter: “Oh, cool.”

I looked up and noticed a woman standing near me for the first time. She locked eyes with me before silently putting her eggs back and picking up the free-range ones. I didn’t mean to lecture anyone, but it’s nice that at least one person made a decision to support a good cause.

This story is part of our Feel Good roundup for January 2021!