New Enriched Cages are Showing Signs of Increased Productions
Egg production is beginning to make a change that is directed towards the care of chickens. This change has been a long time coming. I understand the struggles that farmers at all levels go through, including operation cost, however sometimes sacrifice must be made for the better good.

The United Egg producers and the US Humane Society have sat down and come up with an alternative to housing egg laying hens in battery cages. It may not be everything that activist want, however it’s a compromise that both parties were able to agree on. Current movements are working to pass legislation to do away with battery cages for good and move forward to what is being called the new enriched cages.
JS West and Company is a mass egg producer in California and was actually the first to implement the use of enriched cages. The senior vice president at JS West, Jill Benson admits that though she was originally skeptical, the new cages seem to be an improvement. In fact this improvement can be heard in Jill Benson’s recent statement, “What was a surprise is that the hens are producing just as many eggs, if not more, and they’re living better. In fact, there’s less mortality.”
JS West has added live camera’s that provide real time viewing, giving transparency for the first time in egg production. Benson is so impressed with how well these new cages are doing that she is pushing alongside the humane society to get federal legislation passed to make enriched cages standard operating procedure. Her only concern is that like most farming industries, she worries that legislators will push for more legislation than is necessary, a common battle that is always a concern of farmers and ranchers across the country.












