LANSING, Mich. — Nearly all eggs sold in Michigan will need to come from cage-free birds starting in less than 3 months.
A law passed in 2019 requires all eggs sold in the state to come from chickens, ducks, and other foul that live in cage-free environments starting December 31, 2024.
The new law targets businesses that sell to consumers, outlawing those companies from knowingly selling eggs from hens that were confined in a way that violates cage-free standards. The requirement does not apply to farms with less than 3,000 egg-laying hens.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development expects those businesses to get confirmation in writing from their egg suppliers, saying they are following the cage-free requirement.
A cage-free environment is defined under Michigan law as spaces where hens are free to roam in areas where employees can walk into to provide care. Enrichments suchs as scratch areas, perches, nest boxes, and dust bathing areas are required.
The majority of the guidelines for cage-free eggs comes from the United Egg Producers 2017 rules, which set the standards for how much area must be provided for eggs to qualify as cage-free.
Roughly 15% of eggs in the U.S. are produced in cage-free systems, according to the 2017 report from the United Egg Producers.
The law impacts eggs from domesticated chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and guinea fowl hens. Liquid and cooked egg products will not be required to follow the cage-free requirement.
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