“I will always remember her as a crown of petals that bloomed through the pain, and I will always be grateful to have had the chance to photograph her.” — Shatabdi Chakrabarti
Join We Animals photojournalist Shatabdi Chakrabarti as she moves through an egg production facility in India, documenting the lives of thousands of individuals who live inside.
Since 2013, India’s Animal Welfare Board has advocated for policy change to phase out battery cages in the country’s poultry industry. A 2019 draft of India’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Rules proposed prohibiting battery cages, banning growth enhancers, restricting antibiotic use in feed, and banning forced molting through feed withdrawal. Despite the proposed policy changes, as of 2024, an estimated 400 million hens in India still spend their lives confined in stacks of battery cages, with farms typically housing between 8,000 and 18,000 birds—and some containing up to 100,000 hens.
This hen’s story is one of thousands featured in The Real Cost of Eggs, our global investigation into the egg industry, conducted in collaboration with The Humane League’s Open Wing Alliance and Reporters for Animals International. This sweeping, multi-year exposé captured never-before-seen footage from industrial farms across 37 countries and six continents.
Photography & Videography: Shatabdi Chakrabarti
Narration: Shatabdi Chakrabarti
Film Editing: Molly Condit
Did you know? Our stock platform offers 35,000+ photos and video clips of animal issues around the globe. Non-commercial (free) and commercial licensing available.