There is probably no group of animals that is as tortured and abused as much as egg laying hens. They have been bred to produce about ten times as many eggs as their wild counterparts. They are crowded by the thousands or tens of thousands into massive barns with inadequate ventilation and poisonous air, and they are forced to endure many cruelties and deprivations. By the time they are 2 or 3 years old, they are thoroughly spent and what is left of them is ground up for pet food or cheap meat.