Consumers push to uncage the hens that lay those rich eggs

Eggs, what a wonderful breakfast option! Nutritious, delicious, affordable. And, not to forget, eminently Instagramable. But have you considered the living conditions of the birds that deliver this delectable, protein-rich diet? Just cast a look at your local chicken shop, or the vehicles transporting the birds. You don’t need to be vegetarian, or an animal lover, to hear the screams of filth and neglect. Indeed, if you are fond of a non-vegetarian diet, you should be more concerned than your vegetarian friends, because conditions are not very different at most poultry farms too.

But nothing lasts forever, as the saying goes, and with consumer consciousness grows, the idea of purchasing ‘cage-free’ eggs is gaining adherents among both individual customers and bulk customers such as restaurant chains. In the USA, The Humane League, a global nonprofit that seeks to end the abuse of animals raised for food, has released its annual report, titled Cage-Free Eggsposé. It aims to hold restaurants accountable for their cage-free egg commitments and to inform consumers which brands to trust.

Sources in the American egg industry itself said “2024 is the equivalent of ‘the witching hour‘ for U.S. egg producers in the industry’s shift toward cage-free egg production”, a press release from The Humane League said. Most American food companies have a legal obligation to opt for cage-free eggs. By 2026, egg producers will no longer be able to keep the egg-laying birds in cages.

This has been made possible largely by the rise in consumer demand, state bans, and corporate policies. At the moment, in the USA, more than 40% of egg-laying hens are now free from cages. Back in 2014, they comprised a mere 10.5 per cent of the total egg-laying hen population in the country. While some big restaurant brands source only cage-free eggs, others still misinform customers with unrealized commitments, the release said.

Kelly Myers, senior director of corporate engagement, The Humane League, said, “This is more than a progress report; it’s a call for immediate action. As consumers want responsibly sourced food and investors demand transparency, the clock’s ticking for brands to meet their self-imposed deadlines.”

Myers said there has been strong momentum away from cages. “We applaud the companies that have made genuine progress towards higher animal welfare,” she said, and urged restaurants that still allow extreme confinement of birds in their supply chains—”a practice so cruel it has been criminalized in 11 states”—to follow through with transparency and action.

The report compares brand names across sectors, including dine-ins, drive-throughs, and fast-food chains. It celebrates brands like McDonald’s and TGI Fridays for making the transition to cage-free systems ahead of schedule. But some of their direct competitors, like Chick-Fil-A, Wendy’s, Burger King, Dunkin’, Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s and Taco John’s, have not made progress on their cage-free transition, raising consumer concern about lack of transparency and cruel treatment of animals.

So, what caused this much-needed change? Increased consumer concern about the primitive conditions faced by chicken in cramped, wire cages, with no room to spread their wings, has led to the growing demand for cage-free eggs. Over 520 U.S. businesses have made public commitments to eliminate caged eggs from their supply chains and transition to sourcing cage-free eggs. Eleven states have passed laws regulating the production and/or sale of eggs from hens raised in cages.

Coming back to India, as a report in Asian Agribiz, a provider of news, information, and market intelligence for the animal protein community throughout Asia, pointed out, the country’s commercial egg market struggles with low prices. Despite that, farmers in the cage-free and free-range sector are finding success. Ashok Kannan, chief executive officer of Happy Hens, told the publication, “We are getting more corporate customers like hotel chains purchasing and more multinationals committing to cage-free eggs.” He added, however, that most retail customers remain unaware of cage-free eggs.

An article in the publication pureecoindia.in said the majority of India’s egg-laying hens are kept in small, barren wire cages, also called battery cages, their entire lives. They cannot spread their wings, nest, perch, or dust-bathe. Every hen is confined to an area smaller than an A4-sized sheet of paper her whole life. The European Union banned the use of battery cages for egg-laying hens back in 2012. New Zealand, Switzerland, seven American states—Rhode Island, Michigan, Ohio, Washington, Massachusetts, California and Oregon—and Bhutan have also made the use of these cages illegal.

The article in pureecoindia.in also mentioned that India is the world’s third largest egg producer (around 3.97 million tonnes annually) and a leading exporter. The Happy Hens Farm and Keggfarms, headquartered in Bengaluru and Haryana, respectively, are a few poultry companies that have opted for cage-free eggs. Happy Hens, which has its farm in Mullipatti, Tamil Nadu, has implemented standards set by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and provides around 45 square feet of range per bird.