Ovo vegetarianism

Ovo vegetarianism is a type of vegetarianism which allows for the consumption of eggs; unlike lacto-ovo vegetarianism, no dairy products are permitted. Those who practice ovo vegetarianism are called ovo-vegetarians or "eggetarians." "Ovo" (pronounced /ˈoʊvoʊ/) comes from the Latin word for egg.

Ethical distinctions

Ethical motivations for excluding dairy products are based on issues with the industrial practices behind their production of meat. Concerns include the practice of keeping a cow constantly pregnant in order for her to lactate and the slaughter of unwanted male calves. Other concerns include the standard practice of separating the mother from her calf and denying the calf its natural source of milk.^[1] This contrasts with the industrial practices surrounding egg-laying hens, which produce eggs for human consumption without being fertilized. Ovo-vegetarians often prefer free-range eggs, particularly those produced by uncaged hens.^[2]

Carbon emissions associated with keeping hens are less than those associated with cattle, a factor significant to those practicing environmental vegetarianism.^{[citation needed]}

Ethical concerns about the consumption of eggs arise from the practice, not limited to industry, of euthanising male chicks shortly after birth.^[2][3] Practices considered humane for animal euthanasia include maceration and suffocation using carbon dioxide.^[2][4]

See also

• Lacto vegetarianism
• Veganism

References

1. ^ The Dairy Cow from the website of the Vegan Society
2. ^ ^{a b c} Hens & Eggs from the website of the Vegan Society
3. ^ Day 20: Hard Boiled, Deviled & Devastated, a January 26, 2008 blog post from a Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center blog
4. ^ "Maceration" (dead link). AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia. American Veterinary Medical Association. June 2007. http://www.avma.org/resources/euthanasia.pdf. "A review of the use of commercially available macerators for euthanasia of chicks, poults, and pipped eggs indicates that death by maceration in day-old poultry occurs immediately with minimal pain and distress. Maceration is an alternative to the use of carbon dioxide for euthanasia of day-old poultry. Maceration is believed to be equivalent to cervical dislocation and cranial compression as to time element, and is considered to be an acceptable means of euthanasia for newly hatched poultry by the Federation of Animal Science Societies, Agriculture Canada, World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and European Union."