Cambridge City Council Passes Resolution Opposing One of Factory Farming's Worst Abuses

The Humane Society of the United States praises council for condemning the confinement of egg-laying hens in tiny cages

Last night, the Cambridge City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing one of the most notorious factory farming practices: the intensive confinement of egg-laying hens in tiny wire battery cages.

The resolution states that the council "opposes battery cage egg production, based on the inherent cruelty of confining egg-laying hens in battery cages," and further "encourages consumers of eggs not to purchase eggs produced by caged hens."

Cambridge councilmember Craig Kelley introduced the resolution. He states, "I'm proud that Cambridge has become a leader in the growing movement to oppose battery cage confinement in the egg industry. Elected leaders should set an example when it comes to animal cruelty, and cramming egg-laying hens inside tiny cages is clearly cruel and inhumane."

Paul Shapiro, senior director of the factory farming campaign for The Humane Society of the United States, comments, "The Cambridge City Council has sent a clear message: the egg industry's notorious record on animal welfare is shameful, and it should end its confinement of laying hens in battery cages."

In the Boston area, Finagle A Bagel has implemented an exclusively cage-free egg policy, and Bagel Rising is using exclusively cage-free eggs in one of its restaurants. Au Bon Pain has done the same for one of its Boston restaurants. And a number of Boston-area schools, including Harvard, Tufts, Emmanuel, Lesley, MIT, Northeastern and Massachusetts College of Art have implemented policies to eliminate or greatly reduce the use of eggs from caged hens.

Facts

• U.S. factory farms confine nearly 300 million hens in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can't even spread their wings. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live.
• There is a snowballing national movement against battery cages. Burger King is beginning to use cage-free eggs. Wolfgang Puck is ending his use of cage eggs. Several grocery chains, including Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, have stopped selling cage eggs. Companies such as AOL and Google have ended the use of cage eggs in their employee cafeterias.
• Cage-free hens generally have 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens. While cage free hens may not be able to go outside, they are able to walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests—all behaviors permanently denied to hens confined in battery cages.

Timeline

• June 2007—Cambridge becomes the sixth city following Winter Springs, Fla., Berkeley, Calif., New Port Richey, Fla., West Hollywood, Calif., and Takoma Park, Md., to unanimously pass a bill condemning battery cages and encouraging egg consumers not to purchase eggs from caged hens.
• March 2007—Burger King announces that it has started phasing in the use of cage-free eggs in its North American locations.
• March 2007—Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck announces that he will no longer use eggs from caged hens.
• September 2006—Ben & Jerry's announces that it will phase out the use of eggs from caged hens in all its ice creams.
• November 2005—Needham-based Trader Joe's switches its private-line eggs to cage-free.
• May 2005—Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace announce that they have ended sales of eggs from caged hens.
• November 2003—The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading to label eggs from battery-caged hens as "Animal Care Certified."

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization—backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—on the web at HumaneSociety.org.