Starwood Hotels and Resorts took the big step to eliminate shark fin from all of their property menus back in 2014, and has recently made the commitment to source eggs only from cage-free chickens for all of their properties worldwide by 2020.

Chickens are commonly placed in battery cages, which is a miserable life for the fluffy fowls. The typical size of a battery cage is smaller than a piece of letter paper which doesn’t even allow them enough room to turn around. Chickens love to take dustbaths and it is natural for them to perch. When it is time to lay their eggs, they are unable to escape to somewhere more private when confined to battery cages.

Both battery cage and cage-free chickens have parts of their beaks burned off and some are still subject to starvation to force molting, so being cage-free isn’t the final solution.

It is, however, a great step in the right direction. Hens that are cage-free can fully spread their wings, walk around, and lay their eggs in nests. They get a chance to socialize and feel more comfortable in their surroundings. Some say that there is a difference in taste between cage-free and battery cage eggs, which makes sense.

Although some Starwood properties already source cage-free eggs, the commitment steps up the rest of their supply chain. Many consumers already consistently purchase eggs that are at least cage-free at the grocery store, so this shift by Starwood not only helps the well-being of the barnyard set but also hopefully raises the standard for other hotel chains as well (Marriott?). With over 1,270 Starwood properties worldwide, that translates to a whole lot of happier chickens and guests!

What do you think of Starwood’s commitment to source all of their eggs from cage-free chickens?