Students Vote to Keep Eggs from Caged Hens Off UI’s Campus

WASHINGTON —Today, The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization, praised the University of Iowa (UI) for making permanent its cage-free egg pilot program. Last night, the Associated Residence Halls (ARH) passed a measure stating the students' preference for eggs from cage-free hens as opposed to those from birds confined in battery cages.

In advance of the vote, the university hosted an on-campus discussion with presentations by both The Humane Society of the United States (in favor of a cage-free egg policy) and the Iowa Egg Council (against a cage-free egg policy). Both the Iowa City Press-Citizen and Daily Iowan editorialized in favor of the cage-free egg policy.

In the spring 2006 semester, UI began a pilot program using cage-free liquid eggs in Hillcrest and Burge residence halls as well as in the Iowa Memorial Union, the UI's student union. Those dining facilities use more than one million eggs each year. UI has contracted with Farmers Hen House of Kalona for the cage-free eggs. Ryan Miller, who operates Farmers Hen House, is a UI alum. Thanks to the ARH's vote, he will continue to provide UI with eggs from hens who are not confined in cages.

Paul Shapiro, director of the Factory Farming Campaign for The HSUS, presented the case for the policy before the students two weeks in advance of the vote. After the vote, he said, "The HSUS applauds the University of Iowa for keeping its policy against eggs from birds confined in battery cages. The Associated Residence Halls should be commended for its vision and leadership on such an important animal welfare issue."

Will McBride, president of UI's Farm Animal Welfare Network, stated, "Students at the University of Iowa are concerned about the welfare of farm animals and want to make sure that our dollars don't support one of the cruelest factory farming abuses imaginable: battery cage confinement."

Across the country, nearly 100 schools have enacted policies to eliminate or reduce their use of eggs from caged hens, including Grinnell College, University of Wisconsin – Madison, University of Ohio, Yale University, University of Connecticut and American University.

In the United States, nearly 300 million hens are confined in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can't spread their wings, walk, nest, forage or perch. The cages are stacked one on top of another inside huge warehouses on factory farms. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live, leading to extremely high levels of stress and frustration.

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than 9.8 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammals, animals in research, equine protection and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy and field work. The nonprofit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives and offices across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.