Burger King Corp. announced last week that it will transition to using only cage-free hens for its U.S. egg supply. The changeover is expected to take five years. According to Burger King, it was the first major quick-serve restaurant chain to implement a set of animal welfare policies aimed at reducing cage confinement of egg-laying hens. Since 2007, Burger King has been incorporating cage-free eggs into its supply chain. What exactly is meant by a cage-free hen? Most egg-laying hens exist in what are called battery cages--cages so small the hens can barely move. The floor area can be as small as a piece of letter-size paper. Hens are so cramped that most are unable to stretch their wings or engage in other natural behaviors, such as nesting, perching and dust-bathing.
They don't have access to natural light, and as many as 100,000 birds may be grouped together under a single roof. Sometimes, cages are stacked on top of other cages and hens in lower cages get pelted with waste from the hens above them. In general, cage-free hens are free to roam. According to Eggland's Best, its cage-free hens are provided with sunlight, shade, shelter, an exercise area, fresh air, and are protected from predators. The hens are fed an all-natural, all-vegetarian feed that contains no added hormones, antibiotics or steroids, and no animal by-products, recycled or processed foods.
To be considered cage-free, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires only that a bird spend part of its time outside. Wikipedia does a good job explaining the variations of free-range practices. Click here to see them. For more information on cage-free eggs, click here.