Eggs - thinking of changing

[ambs]

I've been vegan for about 2 years now, and i'm starting to think of re-introducing eggs back into my diet, which would obviously not make me vegan anymore.

I don't want big head vegans fighting me with this, i want level headed, understanding views.
i'm not about to go to the local supermaket and buy eggs from there, i'm aware of the marketing scams with eggs claiming to be "free range" and so on.
If i was to start eating eggs again, the only ones i would get would Be from someone my family knows who has a farm with pet hens that they take care of. i wouldn't buy products from supermakets with egg in them. just fresh farm eggs only. this is just a thought, i still not actually sure if im confortable with it.

i need opinions from people who understand where i'm coming from.

[Sarabi]

First of all, it's impossible to know where you're coming from because you haven't said why you're thinking of doing it.

Secondly, in my opinion, veganism cannot be reduced to diet. Veganism is a philosophy of non-exploitation from which the diet naturally flows. That is why, I believe, non-vegans are not allowed to post throughout most of the discussion board... not because they eat animals, but because they want to eat animals and believe it is acceptable to do so and they cause excessively unhealthy arguments to happen (generally speaking, I think that doesn't necessarily include you).

The original vegan organization, UK Vegan Society, accepted all members who lived a vegan lifestyle or aspired to do so.

Make of that what you will.

[Tigerlily]

I understand where you are coming from. I had thoughts like that too. It started with those eggs and eventually it became crazy stuff like yougurts and completely horrible things. I lasted a few months and I was like, "I have to stop." And I've been staying vegan ever since.

[nattiejeanne]

I think I get where you're coming from. My aunt has a big backyard where she grows her own veggies and raises chickens. She and her husband are pretty much vegan except they eat the eggs the chickens lay. They don't have a rooster; apparently it's not a part of the process, like I thought it was for a long time. The eggs are infertile since these hens aren't having sex, so it's not like any creature is being robbed of life and they know firsthand that these hens are being raised in a loving, humane, healthy atmosphere. I think eating eggs under those restricted circumstances would still adhere to vegan philosophy.

[taliarose]

My first thought of egg eating is 'ick'. I don't enjoy the thought of eating another (or any) species' reproductive cell. Blearg.
After I read that in 'The Kind Diet' I could never consider eggs again.

[Festered]

My first thought of egg eating is 'ick'. I don't enjoy the thought of eating another (or any) species' reproductive cell. Blearg.
After I read that in 'The Kind Diet' I could never consider eggs again.

This.

I think I get where you're coming from. My aunt has a big backyard where she grows her own veggies and raises chickens. She and her husband are pretty much vegan except they eat the eggs the chickens lay. They don't have a rooster; apparently it's not a part of the process, like I thought it was for a long time. The eggs are infertile since these hens aren't having sex, so it's not like any creature is being robbed of life and they know firsthand that these hens are being raised in a loving, humane, healthy atmosphere. I think eating eggs under those restricted circumstances would still adhere to vegan philosophy.

I understand this as well. But, as said above I would need to know why to form a proper opinion.

[RubyDuby]

I understand that it isn't hurting the chicken directly... it's the message being sent that we need to eat eggs that is the potential problem.

[cobweb]

I also understand that it's not 'hurting' the hens, we as a family have had hens living with us before, but those hens have to come from somewhere in the first place........plus, as Ruby says, it's about feeling the 'need' to eat animal 'products', in this case animal tissue. I think it's been said here before that in India there's a school of thought that eggs aren't even considered vegetarian as they contain animal tissue.
Why do you feel that you want to do this?. Is it about convenience (which I understand) or are you questioning the basis behind veganism - or do you feel you are lacking something in your diet?. Just curious.

[taliarose]

Yes, please enlighten us:
What advantage do you feel adding eggs to your diet will serve?

[sandra]

Being vegan is not just about what we eat it's about much more than that. Look at it this way, if another species on earth harvested 'women's' eggs and ate them, wouldn't you find that a bit distasteful and wrong?
Why should another living being have it's eggs taken as food by humans? We wouldn't like it done to us would we?

[fiamma]

if another species on earth harvested 'women's' eggs and ate them, wouldn't you find that a bit distasteful and wrong? ... We wouldn't like it done to us would we?

I understand what you're saying from a philosophical point of view, but here I think you're putting a kind of "alien" slant on things; if we as women were to have our eggs harvested, it would involve a very invasive and probably uncomfortable or painful process. But if we look at hens' eggs, to them if we take them is probably neither here nor there. I mean, are their eggs important to them after they've laid them?
I also think that referring to hens' eggs as "periods" is misleading too; of course in reality they are similar, but egg lovers would find a comparison between eating a woman's period and eating a hen's egg - in terms of appearance and taste in recipes - quite absurd, and rightfully so.

I have had the same thoughts as the OP, and have been tempted to go back to eating eggs, if only for nutritional reasons (B12 source). But I think it's the first step down a slippery slope - once we start eating hens' eggs from hens that have been "humanely" raised etc. etc.... well, what does that "humane" process involve? How much do I really know about how that animal was treated, what happened to her chicks/brothers/sisters, what will happen to her when she no longer produces eggs? And I decided it was something I just wasn't prepared to do.

If i have made any factual errors, please feel free to correct me. I happily admit my ignorance in the field of hen breeding

[sandra]

Hi Fiamma,
Eggs are something that hens make in their own bodies and then lay. If you think it might be 'o.k.' to eat them then look at it from another perspective for a moment. I presume you would think it acceptable to eat an egg because it is not a living being?............well then, would you think the same way if say, a calf was stillborn? Would it be ok to eat it?
If the cow was living as a 'pet' and being well looked after etc just like the theoretical hen that some people are putting forward as a reason to eat eggs, then it would be just the same.
Therefore how far would you go?
There is also the point that it causes distress to the hen when the eggs are taken away, making them feel the need to replace those eggs. The hen is not being allowed to live normally and is put under stress by continually having her eggs removed before she has had a chance to tend to them and she would do naturally.
On the point that women's eggs aren't the same as hen's eggs, perhaps they aren't, but it's just the method of harvesting them that's different isn't it? Let's go back to these 'aliens' you mentioned........what if they had an easy, advanced method of extracting women's eggs painlessly? (I wouldn't disregard the alien idea as I'm sure we aren't the only beings living in the universe) let's just hope those aliens don't visit here anytime soon. Although, if an alien lifeform was advanced enough to travel to Earth then I would hope it would be advanced enough NOT to still be consuming other living beings and their eggs etc.
Being vegan means respecting ALL living beings on this planet and not regarding them as a means of food or using them in any other way. They have their lives to lead and should be allowed to do that without having something they have made taken away by humans.