Eggs from Caged Chickens Banned in Washington State
Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law a ban on caged egg production by the end of 2023. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) announced the news Tuesday.
“The measure builds upon our previous work in states like California and Massachusetts where voters have passed transformational ballot measures against the cage confinement of farm animals in recent years,” HSUS wrote.
The law requires the banning of cages and requires more space per bird, and also dictates that hens be provided with enrichments, including scratch areas, perches, nesting and dust bathing areas, the HSUS report said. The producers of approximately 8 million hens will be impacted. The law also forbids the sale of cage-produced eggs.
In response to the new law in the state of Washington, Chad Gregory, president and CEO of the United Egg Producers (UEP) said: “UEP’s farmer-members support all types of hen housing and will comply with Washington’s new law, when implemented. Changes in hen housing are complex and costly, and they require close collaboration with customers. Our focus remains on proper management of hen health and well-being, and meeting or exceeding all food safety requirements in all housing systems.”
