Top 10 cage-free egg news stories, blogs of 2016

Cage-free egg production became a topic of major interest for those involved in the egg industry in 2016.

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Photo by Andrea Gantz
Photo by Andrea Gantz

From WATTAgNet:

Cage-free egg production became a topic of major interest for those involved in the egg industry in 2016. These are the ten most-read news stories and blogs pertaining to cage-free egg production and sales that appeared on WATTAgNet.com during 2016:

1. US egg industry faces hard choices amid cage-free rush

While the U.S. egg industry surges toward what looks like a cage-free future, individual egg producers and the organization that represents more than 90 percent of them, the United Egg Producers (UEP), find themselves at a crossroads.

2. Rapid US cage-free egg farm expansions lead to ‘chaos’

The number of non-organic cage-free layers housed in the U.S. rose to 16.6 million head in April of 2016, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures.

3. BLOG: Will Wal-Mart egg decision have far-reaching effects?

Mark Clements: Because we live in an interconnected world, what happens 'over there' will more than likely eventually happen 'over here,' wherever you may be, and regardless of whether you like it.

4. UEP: Egg producers must form own definition of cage-free

It’s time for egg farmers to get more involved in setting the agenda surrounding cage-free eggs, especially defining what a cage-free system looks like, said Chad Gregory, president and CEO of the United Egg Producers (UEP).

5. Raising hens with intact beaks to produce cage-free eggs

The practice of trimming the beaks of laying hens, broiler and turkey breeders, and turkey meat birds goes back decades.

6. Warning for US egg producers: Beware of free-range hens

Glenrath Farms has a profitable egg business, one of the U.K.’s largest, whose hens lay around 1.5 million eggs per day. John Campbell, the company's chairman, told the audience at the United Egg Producers’ Annual Board Meeting & Executive Conference in Miami Beach, Florida, on October 18, “I strongly advise any egg producer to avoid free range." 

7. Six states lose appeal on California egg law

California’s 2015 egg law does not interfere with interstate commerce, a federal court ruled.

8. Shift to cage-free eggs, part of larger consumer movement

Consumers want to know more about their food, and major food companies are assessing this trend and adapting to stay in business.

9. Are cage-free eggs more sustainable than conventional?

Cage-free eggs are winning support because of concerns about animal welfare, but the former specialty product may be less environmentally sustainable than conventionally raised eggs.

 

10. How canada will phase out conventional cages by 2036

By 2036, Canada will no longer house laying hens in conventional cages.

Comprehensive resource for cage-free eggs available

A new collection of exclusive articles, blogs and infographics on Cage-free Eggs and Consumer Trust in the Poultry Industry, written by trusted WATT Global Media editors and industry experts will equip egg producers and marketers with information to help them make critical business decisions. Purchase your copy.

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