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HEN CAGE STANDARDS
Current practice:
■ Most cages have 67 square inches of
floor space per hen.
■ Egg producers outside California can
phase in the new cages over 18 years.
Wednesday’s compromise:
■ Cages will have 124 square inches of
floor space for hens that lay white eggs,
the vast majority, or 144 square inches for
the larger hens that lay brown eggs.
■ The cages will have separate areas for
nesting, perching and bathing in dust.
California exception:
■ Cages will have 116 square inches
of floor space per white hen from 2015
through 2020. The standard for brown
hens will be 134 square inches.
■ Cages must meet the larger national
standards by 2021.
144 Sq. In.
New
floor space
for hens
that lay
brown eggs
124 Sq. In.
67 Sq. In.
New
floor space
white eggs
Current floor space
per hen
EGG INDUSTRY
■ California was fifth among
states in egg production last
year. Iowa was first, followed by
Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana.
■ Merced County was the top
egg producer in California in
2009, with 26 percent of the
total. The county’s 1.4 billion
eggs brought $80.9 million in
gross income to farmers.
■ Stanislaus County produced
377 million eggs in 2009.
San Joaquin County produced
263 million.
Sources: United Egg Producers,
county crop reports