Veg*n Question for vegans..

That is an odd question. But no, I would not. Because that chicken would un-doubtedly be devistated to lose their baby. I'd rather let nature take it's course and let the chick hatch. Like an egg should be used for in this world. Now wouldn't it suck if you just gave birth to a child and someone came up and ate it? That's atleast what goes on in my head.

Interesting theory Tipi, but that only works if they have a rooster and there is a chance that the eggs were fertilized. If they only have hens, then your analogy doesn't work. It is an animal byproduct though, so if you wanted to be a vegan, you wouldn't eat an egg, no matter how well the hens were treated. Your mother is right, Belle. Protein IS essential to your diet, but there are a lot of vegan options for protein if you do your research.

Thank you PM. I was told that some vegetables have protein in them. Is this true? Other than that I stick with the vegan pups (vegan hotdogs).

Beans, whole grains, legumes, and soy all have protein. I'm sure some vegetarians will come along with more answers to the "vegetarian protein" question.

Oky doky thanks. So vegans are against eating any type of animal/animal by product not just the cruelty that takes place when they are commercially farmed?

Emma

Yes, thats it. I knew I had it at the top of my head. The magical fruit (even though it isnt a fruit). BEANS!

That's correct Belle. Vegans don't eat or use any part of any animal. That also means no wool, leather, or feathers.

Hey, this was just a thought, but can a vegan use a down feather blanket or pillow?
~x.n.d.x

That would seem pretty evident to me since down is the soft undercoating feathers of a goose or duck, and a vegan wouldn't use anything that comes from an animal. No, I wouldn't imagine that a vegan would use anything with down. If it is an animal, part of an animal, or made by an animal, you will probably NOT see a vegan using it.

Ok, thanks. I'm not vegan, or planning on going vegan(just vegitarian is fine with me ) but I used a down blanket at my friends house the other day and was thinking about it.(the whole "would a vegan use it" thing)
~x.n.d.x

Well, xndx, I don't think a vegan would mind using that, because it doesn't really support the use of animal's feathers for blankets, because you're not buying one of making your friend buy one. Of course, I prefer being "freegan" to being vegan. "Freeganism" is when you don't buy animal products, but if one was being thrown away, you would use it(Like if your friend didn't finish their milkshake, you would finish it).

Well, I'm a vegan and I still wouldn't use any down animal byproducts.

I'm vegetarian, but I don't feel bad about using things the animal has shed. I have no guilt using fallen feathers in my art and for writing utensils.
I would never pluck a feather, but I figure if they shed it they really don't need it anymore. I've also seen people knit with shed dog and cat hair. I wouldn't mind buying a product that contained shed fur.

I am sure the animals really don't mind if we use things they don't need anymore.

This is an interesting topic. I agree with Sabriel, that if an animal has no use for it anymore, why not?

As for down, generally isn't it collected from the whole chicken industry? I am not so sure the whole vegan thing would ever fit with using down.

I find the thought of using happy chickens eggs interesting. I think Emma, that the thing you need to consider most, is what you and your family are comfortable and happy with. Don't be so conerned with achieving a label.

Sometimes I think that some people take this whole thing too far, it gets to a point where it isn't about not supporting the animal industries, or personal beliefs, but rather, aquiring some sort of moral badge of honour. (Of course, this is not always the case, I am not saying every vegan is like this!)

Most vegans would not consider eating a chickens egg because the whole egg industry is disgusting and filled with cruelty. Even free range is not cruelty free in the commercial market.

If you have happy chickens, with dud eggs, I think by all means you should not feel a whole heck of a lot of guilt. You could tell people that you are vegetarian, and would be vegan, however since you have cruelty free chickens who lay eggs, you do eat those because mom makes you and you know they come from healthy happy chickens! As for cheese, do you have soy cheese available? The whole dairy industry is also pretty nasty. Many more concerns with it then with chicken eggs from a hobby farm for me!

On the other hand, don't overcompensate with eggs, as they can be very high in colestorol and not very good for you. Try to look into other meat alternates, and how you could fit them into your lifestyle. That recipie thread here looks very yummy!

Eggs are not healthy, regardless if they come from a factory farm hen or from a country-side belle. No matter the circumstances, natural death or so on, there's no way to justify eating anything from an animal.

C&K said:

If you have happy chickens, with dud eggs, I think by all means you should not feel a whole heck of a lot of guilt.

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I really hope this doesn't come across the wrong way here; I'm not trying to sound off-colour, but as paradigm shift I thought I'd just mention (in general not specifically in response to C&K) that an unfertilized egg of a chicken is really just like an unfertilized egg in a human, in essence. I remember years ago having the sudden realization that I was eating a chicken's period and that just took a lot of the appeal out of the whole thing; free-range and happy or not - it's still a chicken's period. :yuck:

Lydia said:

it's still a chicken's period. :yuck:

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I cramped up just thinking about that. With that analogy, the poor hen has her period every day.

I remember years ago having the sudden realization that I was eating a chicken's period

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I really don't think it is the same. Just a matter of opinion, and I'll just leave it at that.

With a human, we are talking egg the size of a pin head, and a whole lot of yuck!

I actually as a child, had a friend with a nice chicken coup, and I remember being with a hen that was laying eggs. She would lay one, and I reached down and picked it up, (tame chicken!) it was really pretty nice and clean, no mess, nothing.

If you let the possible gross factor get in the way, then you would not eat anything. If you have ever visited a field when they are spraying manure, well, yeah, we are talking a 100 foot spray of crap all over your food... and those are the veggies we eat! Hungry anyone?


I agree eggs are not the best for you, and should be eaten in moderation, but they are not the worst things to eat. Although I am undecided on if I will eat any or not at least until I can have some "happy chickens".

C&K said:

I really don't think it is the same. Just a matter of opinion, and I'll just leave it at that.

With a human, we are talking egg the size of a pin head, and a whole lot of yuck!... I agree eggs are not the best for you, and should be eaten in moderation, but they are not the worst things to eat. Although I am undecided on if I will eat any or not at least until I can have some "happy chickens".

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I wasn't trying for a gross factor on this one and I still eat free-range eggs (which I know still result in the eventual deaths of the chickens anyways and I have my own ongoing internal struggle on the whole thing), so I'm definately not preaching here, but I was really making the similie here just as a theoretical one; a human's unfertilised egg is called her "period" and a chicken's unfertilised egg is a "tasty breakfast food". When you actually get down to it, they're both unfertilised eggs; which if fertilised would become embryos and then baby humans/chickens... that's all.

Obviously there are a lot of practical differences, and I'm not trying to use shock value by any means... just an interesting revelation I had one day! ptimist: