Colorado to ban production and sale of eggs with cages, requiring minimum space and enrichment

On 2020/7/1, following Michigan, Colorado passed a law concerning confinement standards for egg-laying hens.  From 2025/1/1, confinement in an enclosure will be banned, as well as sale of eggs from such practice.

The law clearly states at the top that this is “to protect the health and welfare of consumers, promote food safety, and advance animal welfare”.

Even in cage-free housing, the law requires provision of enrichment that allow the hens to exhibit natural behaviors, including, at a minimum, scratch areas, perches, nest boxes, and dust bathing areas.  In addition, at least 1 square foot (929cm²) of usable floor space per hen is required.  In the case of single level floor environment without access to vertical space (unlike multi-tiered aviary system), a minimum of 1.5 square feet (1394cm²) per bird is required.  From 2023, even with caged rearing, a minimum of 1 square foot will be required.

The ban on sale applies to not only shelled eggs, but also liquid eggs, dry eggs, egg yolks, egg whites, etc.  (It does not apply to processed products that use eggs from cage confinement.)

This new law also applies not only to chickens but also to turkeys, ducks, geese, and guinea fowls used for eggs.\
However, the law has some exemptions such as for farms with under 3000 hens.

Caged rearing, which is being banned for the protection of the consumers’ health and welfare as well as food safety, continues to be permitted and used for over 99% of the eggs in Japan.  The times are changing such that the consumers, the producers, the industry, and the government will not be forgiven for ignoring this trend and continuing to deny animal welfare.

https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb20-1343