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I've known about Cal-Maine's scammy practices for years. It's difficult to know which brands are associated with a group like Cal-Maine, but I did my best at on

I've known about Cal-Maine's scammy practices for years. It's difficult to know which brands are associated with a group like Cal-Maine, but I did my best at one point to get a list which I still check before buying eggs. The brands I've been avoiding are: 4Grain Cage Free Egglands Best Farmhouse Eggs Land O'Lakes Fassio Egg Farms Southwest Specialty Eggs LLC Rocky Mountain Eggs Meadowcreek Foods Specialty Eggs LLC Red River Valley Egg Farm ProEgg Inc. Dixie Egg Co. American Egg Products LLC Texas Egg Products LLC Wharton County foods Benton County Foods Sunups Sunny Meadow Mahard Egg Farm Maine Egg Farms Other Cal-Maine associated brands: Ralston-Purina, Pilgram's Pride, Adams Foods, Dairy Fresh Products, Foodonics Int'l, Versova is new to me, but I'll try to avoid them too. It looks like their brands include: Center Fresh Group Centrum Valley Farms Iowa Cage FRee Hawkeye pride Ovation Farms Trillium Farms Willamette Egg Farms

stronglikedan 3mo ago
Pete & Gerry's seem to be legit from the research I've done. At least, I hope so!
culi 3mo ago
Cornucopia Egg Scorecard focuses on ethical treatment of hens but is sometimes a bit more expansive than that too. A convenient list of good eggs https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/ https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/ All the brands you listed that I could find on their list seem to have the lowest scores.
- SlightlyLeftPad 3mo ago
  I’ll stick with Kirkland Signature which is supplied by Wilcox. I don’t really think Costco ever raised their egg prices afaik. Edit: it is a bit opaque but their main supply network allegedly includes Wilcox and Handsome Brook which are rated decently
  - Obscurity4340 3mo ago
    Has Costco ever commented on its suppliers/sustainabillity or ethicality in this context?
    - SlightlyLeftPad 3mo ago
      Sadly no, so it’s likely opaque intentionally, for reasons.
      - alephnerd 3mo ago
        Costco always enforces strict opacity on it's vendors as a trade secret - it allows them to negotiate from a position of power with fairly large players as well as preventing competitors like Walmart from potentially undercutting Costco by forcing an exclusivity deal or price war.
- nyanmatt 3mo ago
  Ethical treatment of hens doesn't exist in the egg industry.
  - culi 3mo ago
    For example, Eight Mile Creek based in NY: - uses flocks of 60 in mobile houses that allow the chickens to feed on grass and bugs outdoors without over stressing a particular plot of land. - Hens have ample indoor and outdoor space. - Chicks are allowed outdoors as early as 2 weeks old. - Hens are provided enrichment and toys. - Beak trimming is not practiced. - Death rates are less than 2% and hens reach their natural lifespans. - They are also allowed to molt naturally.
    - Obscurity4340 3mo ago
      Its disgusting that, under Capitalism, all these parameters are seen as optional or luxury when they are the normal.
      - metalcrow 3mo ago
        I'm 100% with you on the ethics, but I gotta ask: would this behavior be different under a different economic system? The only 2 reasons I can see it being stopped are either a government enforced regulation, or a public push against it, and neither of these are linked to economics at all.
        culi 3mo ago
        I have to agree. I'm a critic of capitalism but the Soviet Union and others showed us that a (more) planned economy is just as capable of environmental and ecological atrocities as American industry is. An ethics of stewardship and care has to be fought for either way. In both instances indigenous rights (and the landcare ethics that came with them) were trampled on in the name of "progress"
      - unparagoned 3mo ago
        I’m not sure what this has to do with capitalism. You get as bad or even worse under other systems.
makerofthings 3mo ago
That’s a lot of brands. You might have to buy a chicken.
- autoexec 3mo ago
  So far I've always been able to find alternatives at the store, although they are usually more expensive. If I'm willing to go on a bit of a drive there are farms that sell eggs directly. I've been meaning to look into them. One of my relatives found a really cool farm not far from her where you can actually see the chickens walking around so you know they are healthy looking and not locked in a cage they can't move in. The whole thing is based on the honor system too, she just take whatever she needs from a fridge, and leaves cash in a little box.
chrisandchris 3mo ago
Dpending on where you live, it light be easier to just get your eggs from a local farmer instead.

stronglikedan 3mo ago

Pete & Gerry's seem to be legit from the research I've done. At least, I hope so!

culi 3mo ago

Cornucopia Egg Scorecard focuses on ethical treatment of hens but is sometimes a bit more expansive than that too. A convenient list of good eggs https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/ https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/ All the brands you listed that I could find on their list seem to have the lowest scores.

SlightlyLeftPad 3mo ago
I’ll stick with Kirkland Signature which is supplied by Wilcox. I don’t really think Costco ever raised their egg prices afaik. Edit: it is a bit opaque but their main supply network allegedly includes Wilcox and Handsome Brook which are rated decently
- Obscurity4340 3mo ago
  Has Costco ever commented on its suppliers/sustainabillity or ethicality in this context?
  - SlightlyLeftPad 3mo ago
    Sadly no, so it’s likely opaque intentionally, for reasons.
    - alephnerd 3mo ago
      Costco always enforces strict opacity on it's vendors as a trade secret - it allows them to negotiate from a position of power with fairly large players as well as preventing competitors like Walmart from potentially undercutting Costco by forcing an exclusivity deal or price war.
nyanmatt 3mo ago
Ethical treatment of hens doesn't exist in the egg industry.
- culi 3mo ago
  For example, Eight Mile Creek based in NY: - uses flocks of 60 in mobile houses that allow the chickens to feed on grass and bugs outdoors without over stressing a particular plot of land. - Hens have ample indoor and outdoor space. - Chicks are allowed outdoors as early as 2 weeks old. - Hens are provided enrichment and toys. - Beak trimming is not practiced. - Death rates are less than 2% and hens reach their natural lifespans. - They are also allowed to molt naturally.
  - Obscurity4340 3mo ago
    Its disgusting that, under Capitalism, all these parameters are seen as optional or luxury when they are the normal.
    - metalcrow 3mo ago
      I'm 100% with you on the ethics, but I gotta ask: would this behavior be different under a different economic system? The only 2 reasons I can see it being stopped are either a government enforced regulation, or a public push against it, and neither of these are linked to economics at all.
      - culi 3mo ago
        I have to agree. I'm a critic of capitalism but the Soviet Union and others showed us that a (more) planned economy is just as capable of environmental and ecological atrocities as American industry is. An ethics of stewardship and care has to be fought for either way. In both instances indigenous rights (and the landcare ethics that came with them) were trampled on in the name of "progress"
    - unparagoned 3mo ago
      I’m not sure what this has to do with capitalism. You get as bad or even worse under other systems.

makerofthings 3mo ago

That’s a lot of brands. You might have to buy a chicken.

autoexec 3mo ago
So far I've always been able to find alternatives at the store, although they are usually more expensive. If I'm willing to go on a bit of a drive there are farms that sell eggs directly. I've been meaning to look into them. One of my relatives found a really cool farm not far from her where you can actually see the chickens walking around so you know they are healthy looking and not locked in a cage they can't move in. The whole thing is based on the honor system too, she just take whatever she needs from a fridge, and leaves cash in a little box.

chrisandchris 3mo ago

Dpending on where you live, it light be easier to just get your eggs from a local farmer instead.