After reading Jenny Stranzl's nutrition column about eggs last week ("Eggs often mistaken as unhealthy part of diet," March 22), I felt it was necessary to raise awareness about the cruelty involved in the production of eggs. Although 80 percent of egg farms in the United States are categorized as "Animal Care Certified," you might be surprised what goes on in these farms where the animals are so "cared for."

Hens that are raised to produce eggs are arguably the most abused animals in the farming industry. Numerous investigations into "Animal Care Certified" egg farms found hens that were crammed into cages so small they could not spread one wing.

Because the stress of the crowding often induces aggression, the beaks of young chicks are painfully seared off to prevent them from pecking their cage mates.

Everything from the lighting to feeding the hens is automated, so humans often do not have contact with the birds unless it is to put them in a cage to start laying eggs or to take them out for slaughter. The hens receive no veterinary care for the many diseases and infections they contract.

It is common to find the rotting corpses of birds in the same cage as live birds.

When egg production gets too low, "Animal Care Certified" standards allow farmers to withhold feed from the hens for two weeks to shock them into another laying cycle.

Check out eggscam.com for more information about egg production farms.