California Liberates Some US Laying Hens from Battery Cages

Laying hens in battery cages will soon become a thing of the past in California. Yet, egg importers should take note: While the Golden State might not successfully keep out illegal immigrants, it will step up policing for non-humane eggs from other locales.

Liberating Laying Hens

In 2008, California voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of Proposition 2, which demanded the humane treatment of animals used for food production. With more than 63 percent of voters approving an overhaul of the system that thrives on battery cages and factory farming, the campaign manager of the "Yes! On Prop 2" campaign enthusiastically agreed that "Proposition 2 will improve the lives of 20 million farm animals."

There is a good chance that the nationwide impact of AB 1437, which went to the governor for signature today, will surpass her expectations. Referred to by the Humane Society of the United States simply as the "Egg Bill," the legislation is designed to do away with laying hens being kept in battery cages. Instead, the animals must have sufficient room to stand up, lie down and also spread their wings without touching another bird.

Not Just California Chicken Eggs

The devil is in the details, and, while California voters may have initially only considered farm animals located in the Golden State, the Egg Bill goes further. Going into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, it makes it illegal for anyone to sell a shelled egg - for human consumption - in the state of California, unless it comes from humanely treated laying hens.

In other words, out-of-state importers of chicken eggs must either change from battery cages to free-roaming (or humanely confined) laying hens, or cease selling shelled eggs in California. A fine of $1,000 or 180 days in the county jail serve as deterrents for farmers unwilling to follow the new rules.

Eggs by the Numbers

The San Francisco Chronicle crunched some numbers, and found that California egg farmers have an average annual egg output of roughly 5 billion eggs. Since the Egg Bill pertains to in- and out-of-state laying hens, Californians should anticipate paying about two cents per egg more. A small price to pay for healthier and happier laying hens.

Of course, there is no change without detractors. While the Egg Bill does ensure that all imported eggs must follow the same rule - thereby not putting California's egg farmers at a disadvantage - it fails to outline succinctly the acceptable sizing of cages, as was requested by the Farm Bureau of San Diego County. It also fails to address non-shelled (processed) eggs, which make up "40 percent of eggs consumed by Californians."

Sources

⁽¹⁾http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2008/11/californians_deliver_decisive_victory_on_prop_2_110508.html

⁽²⁾http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_1401-1450/ab_1437_bill_20100526_amended_sen_v97.html

⁽³⁾http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2010/07/ab1437_passage_070610.html

⁽⁴⁾http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/07/BA3S1EADD2.DTL

⁽⁵⁾https://www.sdfarmbureau.org/FBinAction/Letters/ab-1437.pdf