Egg farmers in California are converting their laying houses to comply with a state law taking effect on Jan 1 that mandates more freedom of movement for the hens, notes a Christian Science Monitor story on humane treatment of livestock. “There are people on all sides of the issue – farmers, distributors, government regulators, animal welfare advocates, and research scientists – who concur that animal welfare is now an established and growing ethic in the US production of food,” says the Monitor. It points to action by states and by foodmakers to eliminate cramped cages for hens and stalls for pigs.
“The question is, How far might these changes go?” asks the Monitor. It quotes renowned animal scientist Temple Grandin as saying, “People don’t like animals in tiny boxes.” While California egg producers are adapting to the new law, “industry groups are fighting to prevent new ones from being passed. They believe farmers are already staggering under too much government regulation.”
For most livestock, says the newspaper, change will be slow. “The welfare reforms that have been passed in recent years give farmers between five and 14 years to convert their facilities.”