Ben Zukisian wrote:This brings to mind a question I have always had...are vegans more likely to be pro-life when it comes to human fetuses like they seem to be with bird eggs?
I can't bring myself to harvest my male muscovy ducks, even though they are horribly rough to the females, and I admire vegans' empathy and self-control. However, why would it be unethical for a person to eat eggs from free range birds if you are following biodynamic principles and increasing the habitat for wild animals as well as your livestock while minimizing inputs? If the birds help everything else grow and ultimately increase habitat at a sustainable population (and they do), you would seem to have to remove some offspring or eggs or have overpopulation and denuding of biodiversity and productivity. That or allow predators to do so, which may seem nice for them but it won't be when the neighbor shoots a chicken prowling fox after my habituating it it to seek prey where farmers are. I have a LGD who gets an egg a day, and so do my wife and I. Our plants get great fertilizer and produce more food for us and the birds. The 14 birds live under fruit and maple trees with a 1/4acre to roam, and more if they wanted but don't seem to want to jump the fence. I could not replace their production increases without some animal, and they live a great life so what about this would make someone not want to eat my eggs? If you think humans aren't meant to, consider how pretty much any ape will eat an egg if available. Even humming birds eat insects when raising young. Life needs to consume life to continue, and I feel empathy for the plants I harvest too...I don't mean to judge, just something I've always wondered about veganism as a principal rather than a reaction to modern unethical animal farming.
sorry I should know more about keeping birds, but I was wondering under those conditions if it is necessary to feed oyster shell, etc. to them or do they find all they need in their environment? and I would also like to know what you estimate their population growth rate would be if they only laid eggs to hatch. I need to research more about survival rate of birdlings.
I feel like pro-life is definitely a big part of being vegan, but would have to ask around to see if that's more likely among vegans. Though I am vegan, I am always happy when someone who eats eggs decides to raise their own birds, hoping that they will realize what personality birds have and thus stop buying industrial animal products. I applaud you for treating your birds so kindly:) the environment you describe sounds like more of a fair trade than in the poultry industry. I also am looking for new ways to minimize harm to plants as well. I feel like the main issue with animal products is putting a price on them -- if they were only given freely and were outside the realm of 'business', it seems like there would be less abuse? I would personally still avoid eating their eggs because I have so many other options -- being human I have more chances to experiment with new levels of kindness than an ape or hummingbird does. and sometimes I wonder if animal actions mirror human ones and if they will evolve their habits if more humans change their ways.
that's what I like about biodynamics and vegan, both stretching the potentials of human consciousness.
so even if another term must be coined to combine them, I look forward to more experiments in this area.
