US consumers support proposed laying hen cage legislation

American consumers support, by a margin of four-to-one, recently proposed national legislation that would transition egg production from the existing conventional cages used for egg-laying hens to enriched cages, according to a new survey conducted by independent research company The Bantam Group. Consumers also said that federal legislation was preferable to state legislation, by a margin of two-to-one.

American consumers support, by a margin of four-to-one, recently proposed national legislation that would transition egg production from the existing conventional cages used for egg-laying hens to enriched cages, according to a new survey conducted by independent research company The Bantam Group. Consumers also said that federal legislation was preferable to state legislation, by a margin of two-to-one.

Consumers support the transition to enriched cages for egg production by a margin of 12-to-one. Consumers also said that the two most important groups to support this transition outlined in the federal legislation (H.R. 3798) to enriched cages are the United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States, both of which support the bill, as do more than 11 egg and farm groups, 10 animal protection groups and the National Consumers League. Fifty-nine percent of consumers said they would be "more supportive" if they knew that the United Egg Producers and humane society supported such legislation; only 1 percent said they would be more opposed.

Enriched cages provide egg-laying hens nearly double the amount of space they currently have in conventional cages, plus provide perches, nest boxes and scratch pads which allow the hens to exhibit their natural behaviors.

The study was commissioned by United Egg Producers. However, the survey's sponsorship was anonymous so as to not bias any of the 2,000 respondents, all of whom were registered voters. 

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