Egg Farmers, Humane Society Hatch Ad Campaign for Egg Bill

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The Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers launched a new ad campaign today in support of federal legislation providing a solution for the housing of 280 million egg-laying hens and providing a stable future for egg farmers.

The groups are calling on Congress to pass H.R. 3798, the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012, introduced recently by U.S. Reps. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., Sam Farr, D-Calif., and Jeff Denham, R-Calif.

The ad campaign was initiated with placements today in The Hill and Politico, and will continue in media outlets as the groups work to pass the legislation.

The headline states, “America’s hens give us 76 billion eggs a year. Let’s give them something in return.” The ad reminds lawmakers that no federal funds are being requested, that the legislation is specific only to eggs, and that the leading scientists in the egg industry embrace this reform.

A copy of the ad can be viewed online here.

“Eggs are a national commodity, and egg producers should have a level playing field—not have different, costly rules in all 50 states,” says Gene Gregory, president and CEO of United Egg Producers. “That’s where we are heading if we don’t pass this federal legislation. We need this legislation for our customers and consumers and the survival of egg farmers.”

“The HSUS and UEP have been long-time adversaries, but have come together and identified a solution that balances animal welfare and the economic realities of the industry,” says Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “The nation needs this kind of problem solving, and the Congress should enthusiastically embrace an agreement between all of the key stakeholders.”

H.R. 3798, the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012, would:

Require conventional cages to be replaced during an ample phase-in period with new, enriched colony housing systems that provide each egg-laying hen nearly double the amount of current space;
Require that, after a phase-in period, all egg-laying hens be provided with environmental enrichments, such as perches, nesting boxes and scratching areas, that will allow hens to express natural behaviors;
Require labeling on all egg cartons nationwide to inform consumers of the method used to produce the eggs—“eggs from caged hens,” “eggs from hens in enriched cages,” “eggs from cage-free hens,” and “eggs from free-range hens”;
Prohibit feed- or water-withdrawal molting to extend the laying cycle, a practice already prohibited by the United Egg Producers Certified program;
Require standards approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association for euthanasia of egg-laying hens;
Prohibit excessive ammonia levels in henhouses; and
Prohibit the transport and sale of eggs and egg products nationwide that don’t meet these requirements.

If enacted, the bill would require egg producers to increase space per hen in a tiered phase-in, with the amount of space hens are given increasing, in intervals, over the next 15 to 18 years. (Phase-in schedules are more rapid in California, consistent with a ballot initiative approved earlier by that state’s voters.)

Currently, the majority of hens are each provided 67 square inches of space, with tens of millions receiving just 48 square inches. The proposed phase-in would culminate with a minimum of 124 square inches of space for white hens and 144 for brown hens nationwide.

Farmers have begun to invest in enlarged cage housing systems in hopes that this legislation will pass and provide clarity for what is acceptable hen housing in all states in the future.