A Global Investigation Exposes the Hidden Lives of Caged Hens

Exposing the animals within Our Food Systems

From Brazil to Bulgaria, a new investigation lays bare the price hens—and humans—pay for cheap eggs.

Today, in collaboration with the Open Wing Alliance, a global coalition of nearly 100 organizations established by The Humane League, and Reporters for Animals International, We Animals releases the largest investigation of its kind: a sweeping, multi-year exposé into the global egg industry, capturing never-before-seen footage from industrial farms across more than 35 countries and six continents.

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“This isn’t just an animal welfare scandal—it’s a ticking time bomb for public health and corporate risk. Cramming sick, stressed hens into filthy cages is the perfect breeding ground for disease, yet companies are still clinging to this reckless model.”— Ellie Ponders, Senior Director of Global Corporate Engagement, The Open Wing Alliance

Find Out More & Take Action: RealCostofEggs.com

Narrated by Golden Globe host Nikki Glaser and supported by more than 100 public figures, The Real Cost of Eggs tells the story of billions of birds confined in outdated systems that most food companies promised to leave behind years ago. The footage speaks for itself: systemic neglect, normalized cruelty, and a global industry still stuck in the past.

Key Findings:

Cages packed with 7–10 hens, each given less space than an iPad
Live hens trapped beside corpses in automated enclosures
Birds discarded in manure pits; eggs retrieved from feces and sold
Rampant disease risks, including avian influenza

Filmed across dozens of countries—from India to Italy, the United States to Zimbabwe—this footage shows how widespread and normalized these conditions have become, as reported in this exclusive with France24.

Over 100 celebrities have joined the call for change, signing an open letter demanding that corporations eliminate cages from their global supply chains. Their message is clear: cruelty is bad for business, and even worse for public health.

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“The worst part is knowing this is “normal,” that this is how the eggs people buy without thinking are produced. No green fields or happy animals. Just misery packed into a disgusting shed. And when I leave, the smell stays on my clothes like a reminder—this happens every day, everywhere, while the world looks the other way.”— Investigator