Washington State Bans Cruel Confinement of Egg Laying Hens

This week Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a groundbreaking bill into law that will ban the sale of of eggs from caged hens. This law will phase out cruel confinement by 2023 and applies to eggs sold in the state but produced elsewhere.

Washington is the latest state to ban hen cages. Several states have passed laws in the recent years cracking down on battery cages and phasing out entirely hen confinement.  While these measures do not eliminate cruelty entirely, they are a step in the right direction for millions of hens each year. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that just in the state of Washington, this new law will benefit roughly 8 million birds annually.

Without these protections, egg-laying hens on factory farms are stuffed into tiny wire cages so small they cannot even spread their wings. These smart and social animals are deprived of their most basic natural behaviors and treated in ways that would be considered unimaginable for cats or dogs.

As always, the best way to protect animals is to leave them off our plates. For recipes and tips for how to eliminate cruel eggs from your diet, visit TryVeg.com.