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The last issue of Outrage (Fall 2001/Winter 2002, Issue #4) detailed Mercy For Animals' month-long investigation at Ohio's two largest egg factory farms, Buckeye Egg Farm in LaRue, Ohio and Daylay Egg Farm in Raymond, Ohio. At both facilities, MFA discovered severe overcrowding, hens trapped in the wire of their cages, and dead birds left to rot next to their cage mates. The investigation uncovered countless sick and injured hens suffering from raging eye and sinus infections, mechanical feather damage, pasteurella, paralysis, vitamin deficiency, enlarged vents, hernias, wing hemetones and blindness.

In addition to providing on-site aid to sick, injured, and dying hens, MFA also rescued 34 hens from certain death. All of the surviving hens have recovered miraculously at a sanctuary that is now their permanent home. Their feathers have returned, their scars have healed, and they are now forever free of the torture of the battery cage.  

MFA’s website on the investigation, www.EggCruelty.com , has received over 56,000 page views since its launch in October. Hundreds of people have requested vegan starter kits from the site.

Media attention on the plight of hens confined to battery cages has continued even after the release of MFA's findings that were presented at a press conference in October, 2001.

In February of 2002, Columbus's largest TV station, CBS Channel 10, aired an exposé on not only the cruelties uncovered by the investigation, but also the often untold health risk posed by Salmonella Enteritidis. The bacteria is often passed onto consumers from hens that endure forced molting - the industry practice of starving hens for up to two weeks to force them into another egg laying cycle.

The news station placed full-page color ads in The Columbus Dispatch, aired numerous radio and TV commercials, as well as website banners, to announce the exposé. The TV ads showed video footage obtained during the MFA investigation. The story received so much attention that a follow-up story aired a week later. After viewing footage obtained during MFA’s investigation, Giant Eagle, one of Ohio’s largest grocery chains, pledged to cut ties with producers that starve hens into a forced molt.

MFA is still pursuing cruelty prosecution against the two egg farms. No charges have been filed against any of the six MFA investigators.

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