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21 Harvard Donors To Boycott In Dispute Over Free Range Eggs

BOSTON (CBS) - Nearly two dozen Harvard donors are vowing to stop sending money because of the University's use of eggs from caged chickens.

According to the Harvard Crimson, More than 5,000 students signed a petition last year to switch solely to cage-free eggs.

Ted Mayer, the man in charge of dining services cited cost and other concerns and declined to make the switch.

That's when students took their cause to the donors and convinced 21 of them to sign on.

In a letter to school administrators, the 21 donors said they were pulling their financial support for the school until it makes a complete switch to cage-free eggs.

Harvard made a partial switch to cage-free eggs in 2007, but still uses about 500,000 eggs each year from farms that cage their hens.

According to Mayer, a switch to cage-free eggs would cost $100,000 and would not guarantee humane treatment of the chickens.

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