National Association of Egg Farmers Urges Support for King Amendment in Farm Bill in Congress

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa., July 18, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Farm Bill is before Congress every five years and is important to the nation's farmers.  This year it is very important to National Association of Egg Farmers members, as the House version includes an amendment from Rep. Steve King from Iowa that seeks to uphold the U.S. Constitution commerce clause.

In effect that clause says Congress is to regulate commerce among the states, but certain states are implementing laws regulating how eggs are produced outside the state and then imported into that state. Specifically, they are pressing for removing cages for egg-laying hens.  They claim they are doing it for the welfare of the chicken and the quality of the egg.  They need to ask the farmers.  Farmers today moved to cages for welfare considerations and for egg quality improvements.

Let's begin with the welfare of the chicken. The term "pecking order" is the term applied to chickens establishing dominance.  Research has shown higher mortality among cage-free chickens.  So more chickens together means more pecking.  In cages, that is reduced to a much smaller number.  Cage-free systems have resulted in more broken breast bones. Forcing chickens into production systems that increase bone breakage is inhumane. 

There are more external parasites in cage-free farms, specifically red mites. 83% of European cage-free egg farms are already infested with poultry red mites. All 27 member nations in the EU are about 40% cage-free compared to 16% in the U.S. Subjecting poultry to parasites is inhumane. 

Currently, California is struggling with a major poultry disease (Virulent Newcastle Disease) with more than 40 outbreaks in backyard poultry that are cage-free.  Once discovered, these chickens have to be destroyed.  Forcing chickens into production systems where they contract poultry diseases is inhumane. 

From the perspective of FOOD SAFETY-The US Animal Health Association October 17, 2017 Report stated: "Ascarids (round worms) are increasingly being found in cage-free operations with the concern being the possibility of a consumer finding an egg with a roundworm contained inside. Most all cage-free egg producers have had such an occurrence."

Chickens pick up roundworms when they come into contact with infected feces on the ground. How will consumers react to finding round worms in their eggs? 

Farmers know how to produce safe, quality eggs while caring for their chickens.  Don't take that knowledge away by removing consumers' choices and forcing only cage-free eggs. 

It is for these reasons National Egg Farmers is urging support for the King amendment in the Farm Bill. 

Media Contact:

Ken Klippen
4847443851
[email protected]

SOURCE National Association of Egg Farmers

Related Links

http://www.eggfarmers.org