Delaware House Committee Holds Hearing on One of Factory Farming’s Worst Abuses

The Humane Society of the United States urges Agriculture Committee to pass measure to protect egg-laying hens

Delaware's House Agriculture Committee is holding a hearing today on a measure prohibiting one of the most abusive practices in factory farming: confining egg-laying hens in tiny battery cages so small the animals can't spread their wings.

The bill, H.B. 95, would provide the most basic protection for the state's egg-laying hens: enough room merely to spread their wings. The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than 10 million supporters, urged the committee to approve the important measure. Paul Shapiro, senior director of the factory farming campaign for The HSUS, will be testifying at today's hearing.

Delaware State Representative Pamela Maier (R, 21) and Senator Karen Peterson (D, 9) introduced the bill. According to Sen. Peterson, "The vast majority of Delaware's chicken farmers don't confine their birds in cages so overcrowded that they can barely move. However, some of our state's egg-laying hens do suffer this cruel and inhumane fate, and this must come to an end."

"The Humane Society of the United States commends Representative Maier and Senator Peterson for working to help discourage one of the worst factory farm abuses," comments Paul Shapiro. "Allowing hens enough room to merely spread their wings is a modest and common sense initiative, and we urge the House Agriculture Committee to quickly pass this bill."

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 only one poultry operation in Delaware that confines egg-laying hens in battery cages.
• Wolfgang Puck is ending its use of cage eggs. Burger King is beginning to moving away from cage eggs. Major grocery chains such as Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace have stopped selling cage eggs, while Trader Joe's has done the same with its private line eggs. Even local municipalities have publicly condemned battery cages.
• More than 150 schools across the country have enacted policies to eliminate or greatly reduce the use of eggs from caged hens.

Timeline

• June 11, 2007—Winter Springs, Fla., becomes the fifth city following 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.
• March 2007—Wolfgang Puck announces the implementation of a wide-ranging program to improve animal welfare in his supply chain, including not using battery cage eggs.
• September 2006—Ben & Jerry's announces that it will phase out the use of eggs from caged hens in all its ice creams.
• October 2005—Bon Appétit Management Company announces that it is phasing out the use of eggs from caged hens in all of its 400 cafés.
• 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."

-30- 

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.