Egg growing and layer cage conditions to change in USA
19th July 2011
The United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States have partnered to work toward the enactment of federal legislation that would set national standards for hens involved in U.S. egg production. The proposed standards, if enacted, would be the first federal law addressing the treatment of animals on farms.
How this is any business of the Federal government is, of course, not discussed.
If passed by Congress, the legislation would supersede state laws including those that have already been passed in Arizona, California (Proposition 2), Michigan and Ohio. The agreement to pass comprehensive federal legislation for standards of egg production puts a hold on planned ballot measures related to egg-laying hens in both Washington and Oregon. Home growers will face the same regulations – even those with small chicken coops.
And that’s what brought the United Egg Producers in; only major factory farm operations can afford the cost of compliance with this sort of regulatory regime. The Humane Society, of course, is one of the pioneers among organizations that exist solely to stick their noses into other people’s business.