Cage-Free Eggs Are Booming in the US, Despite Cost and Trump’s Efforts
The premium-priced product is more popular than ever in the US, and there’s not much a DOJ lawsuit can do about it.
You’d be forgiven for thinking all egg-related news these days is bad. Bird flu has devastated farms across the US, driving up prices at the supermarket and even leading to a surcharge at Waffle House earlier this year. But there’s something to celebrate in the world of eggs. We’re fast approaching a major milestone: converting 50% of the US flock to cage-free. There are now more than 130 million cage-free laying hens in the US, almost five times as many as in 2012, making up about 46% of the country’s entire egg-laying hen flock, according to the latest monthly report from the US Department of Agriculture. Even though the eggs cost more, Americans continue to reach for higher-welfare options at the grocery store. Some restaurant chains are even beating their own cage-free goals.
This isn’t chicken feed—it’s real progress. Now the Trump administration is trying to stop it.