The Humane Society of Penn State (HSPS) is petitioning the university to buy eggs from more humane, local farmers.

In a petition introduced in late August, HSPS wants the university to switch from battery-cage eggs to cage-free eggs from local farmers.

"We believe that all animals have a right to humane care, including chickens," Emily Spivak, president of HSPS, said. "We are against battery-cage eggs because the chickens are kept in extremely small quarters -- 67 square inches -- and are prevented from behaving naturally; they cannot even move around."

The eggs would cost five cents more per egg, but would help end abuse to factory chickens and help local farmers, Spivak said.

She said she believes that "by supporting the cause, students would really have a positive impact on the lives of these animals who otherwise no one would stand up for."

Lisa Wandel, associate director of Food Services, said "cage-free eggs would be substantially more expensive and it would have a big financial impact on the dining commons."

While Wandel could not give exact figures, she said the cost of purchasing cage-free eggs for just one semester would be equivalent to purchasing five frozen yogurt machines.

Wandel also said customer demand was not strong enough, and customers would have to pay more for their meal plans.

She also said "the term 'cage-free' can be misleading, and I question whether people have an accurate perception of 'cage-free.' "

In a similar situation at the University of Notre Dame, students also petitioned their university to switch to cage-free eggs. After the manager of nutrition and food safety visited both batter-cage and cage-free farms, there did not seem to be enough abuse to warrant a change, according to a early October press release by the United Egg Producers.

Additionally, Notre Dame decided not to serve cage-free eggs on campus not only because the cost of the eggs were high but also because of a number of safety concerns, such as salmonella.

Students who read HSPS's petition generally supported the switch to cage-free eggs, even though it could possibly increase tuition.

"I am for the use of certified humane cage-free eggs due to the reason that if we purchase these eggs, the long-term benefit will be that factory-farms will go out of business," Karlee Curatola (junior-agriculture and extension education) said. "This long-term benefit outweighs the short-term cost of an increase in tuition."

Some students said they believe in the psychological impact knowing they're eating cage-free eggs can have.

"I think that free-range eggs, although more expensive, are much more humane. You are going to get the same product, but in a way, you can feel better about it," said Alison Butler (junior-advertising) grew up eating cage-free eggs.

On campus, HSPS strives "to educate the student population about the exploitation, protection, and rights of animals."

The club emulates the national Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and honors its mission statement: "We celebrate the human-animal bond, and we fight animal cruelty and abuse in all of its forms."