Hardee's Cruelty

Is Hardee's betraying its customers and the animals in its supply chain?

In 2016, Hardee's promised customers it would put an end to horrific animal cruelty in its supply chain by phasing out cruel cages by 2025. While Carl's Jr., Hardee's sibling company, started reporting its cage-free egg progress in July 2024 and announced Carl's Jr. is 100% cage-free in the US, Hardee's has yet to update its website with what progress Hardee's has made.


Many of Hardee's competitors have already met their cage-free egg commitments, like McDonald's and Taco Bell. Others are publicly reporting progress, like Jack in the Box and White Castle. Meanwhile, Hardee's is lagging behind the industry standard and refuses to publish its cage-free egg progress on its website.


Hens trapped in cages have no space to move or engage in any natural behaviors. They are forced to live, breathe, and lay eggs for human consumption amongst feces and rotting bodies. For hens in cages, it’s hell on earth. Customers have been misled and have a right to know what their hard-earned money is paying for.


Hardee's is being heartless and risking losing the trust of its customers. It’s time for Hardee's to tell the truth about its eggs by updating its website and publicly reporting progress toward its 100% cage-free egg commitment!

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Why Cage-Free?

Confinement

Egg-laying hens are forcefully shoved inside wire cages, and on average, each hen is only afforded as little as 67 square inches of cage space — less than a single sheet of letter-sized paper on which to live her entire life. This intense confinement is the main source for frustration, injuries, and in many cases death.

Injuries

Foot and claw damage are more frequent in cages than in other systems, with lesions, fissures, and twisted or broken claws resulting from stepping on sharp wiring every day. Often, other body parts are caught in the caging, which results in fractured or broken bones, deformities, and further feather wear.

Mental Anguish

Like any animal, chickens are highly motivated to perform natural behaviors. These behaviors include nesting, perching, scratching, foraging, and exploring. Caged chickens are denied all of these natural behaviors, causing them severe distress and frustration.

Progress on the Issue

Many leading food companies are reporting on their progress toward being 100% cage-free, including these:

These states have banned battery cages

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All images representative of typical factory farm conditions Photos courtesy of
  • Hero image: L214 Éthique et Animaux
  • Confinement image: Jo-Anne McArthur • We Animals
  • Injuries image: Jo-Anne McArthur • Animal Equality
  • Mental anguish image: Andrew Skowron • Open Cages

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Victory!

CKE is now reporting US cage-free egg progress for Hardee’s and is also reporting international progress as well! 💥 CKE published the statement, “We are pleased to report that in all domestic Carl’s Jr. restaurants we have met our commitment and are 100% cage free. As of September 2024, all domestic Hardee’s locations, more than 40% of our egg volume is cage-free and for all international Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s locations, 5% of our total egg volume is cage-free.” CKE also reaffirmed it’s commitment to be 100% cage-free by the end of 2025!