Mars, ban cruel cages throughout the world!

Sign the petition asking the parent company of Snickers, Milky Way, and M&M’s to reject eggs sourced from caged hens in its global supply chain.

Mars Incorporated, parent company of brands like M&M’s, Milky Way, Snickers, and 3 Musketeers, is failing animals.

Mars claims to be committed to helping create a safe, healthy, and sustainable world for its partners and the communities in which it operates, and the company maintains it cares deeply about the welfare of animals in its supply chain. Nevertheless, Mars continues to sell products with eggs from caged hens in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Caged egg production is widely considered one of the most egregious forms of animal cruelty. Hens are stuffed into wire cages so small the birds can’t walk, fully spread their wings, or engage in other natural behaviors for nearly their entire lives. Many birds become trapped and painfully mangled in cage wire or under feed trays and often suffer and die. Dead hens are left to rot alongside birds still laying eggs for human consumption.

Over 1,600 companies around the world have already pledged to eliminate cages from their egg supply chains. In fact, nearly 100 companies have committed to eliminating cages from their global supply chains, including Mars peers and competitors the Hershey Company, the Ferrero Group, Nestlé, Unilever, PepsiCo, and Grupo Bimbo.

Mars has failed to take global action to stop sourcing eggs from caged hens.

Please sign and share this petition asking Mars to make a public commitment to eliminating these cruel cages worldwide and help reduce suffering for thousands of hens.

Mars, ban cruel cages throughout the world!

Sign the petition asking the parent company of Snickers, Milky Way, and M&M’s to reject eggs sourced from caged hens in its global supply chain.

Read the petition here.

Mars can reduce suffering for thousands of hens by banning cruel cages in its global egg supply chain.

It’s time for Mars to establish meaningful cage-free policies for hens in all its operations, including in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

TAKE ACTION

Raise your voice for hens, and ask Mars to ban cages globally.

HELP LEAVE CAGES BEHIND!

The Reality of Hens in Cage Systems

In a cage egg-production system, up to 10 hens are crammed into a single cage, each bird spending most of her life on floor space smaller than a notebook-sized sheet of paper. With so little room, some hens are trampled to death by their cagemates.

These cages are so tiny that hens can’t even spread their wings or walk more than a couple of steps. Such confinement can cause bone brittleness, foot lesions, and fatty liver syndrome. By the time they’re slaughtered, about 30 percent of these birds experience at least one bone fracture.

The extreme stress brought on by intensive confinement often compels hens to peck one another. Instead of addressing this problem by eliminating cages, the egg industry uses “beak trimming.” At the hatchery, chicks have the tips of their beaks seared off without anesthesia. The procedure can cause chronic pain, sometimes so severe that chicks die from starvation because they can’t even eat.

Many hens become trapped in cage wire or under feed trays. Unable to free themselves or reach food and water, they suffer and die. The remains of birds who die in cages are often left to rot among hens still laying eggs for human consumption.

Leading food companies around the world, such as the Hershey Company, the Ferrero Group, Nestlé, Unilever, PepsiCo, and Grupo Bimbo, have adopted animal welfare policies to ban cruel cage systems from their global egg supply chains.

Unfortunately, Mars continues to source its eggs from caged hens and disregard laying hen welfare in many countries.

Let’s open cages!

Hens are highly social animals who also need their privacy. When ready to lay eggs, most hens prefer solitary nesting, an instinctive behavior to hide their eggs from predators.

Hens are very smart, learn quickly, and have excellent memories. They can recognize the faces of dozens of other birds and communicate with at least 24 distinct vocalizations. They can add and subtract, anticipate outcomes of certain actions, and exhibit self-control.

Like most animals, hens prefer to be clean. They use their wings to cover their feathers in dust, which they shake off afterwards. Dustbathing avoids oil accumulation, skin irritations, and the spread of certain diseases.

They can empathize with other hens and experience happiness, loneliness, frustration, fear, and pain—just like the dogs and cats who share our homes. Hens also communicate with their chicks before they hatch. Mother hens cluck softly, and chicks reply with a peep.

Hens are sensitive, intelligent animals.

Help get them out of cages!