Cal-Maine Foods,the nation’s largest egg producer, plans to invest $40 million in capital projects to expand the company’s cage free production facilities. Construction of five cage free houses that will replace retired caged facilities in Florida, Georgia, Utah, Texas adding about 1 million cage free layers says Cal Maine. Construction is set to begin at the end of this year with completion and summer of 2025.
“We are pleased to announce these new expansion projects, which support our strategy to increase our free-range production in line with customer demand and expanding state requirements for cage-free eggs,” said Sherman Miller, president and chief executive officer of Cal-Maine Foods, based in Mississippi.
The company’s brands are: Egg-Land’s Best, Land O’ Lakes, Farmhouse, and 4-Grain.
The trend towards cage free eggs started in California with the passage of Prop 12 allowing hens more room in their daily lives. Beyond California, the industry has been reluctant to invest in these facilities, but the decision by the US largest producer appears to move the industry in this direction.
Advocates like the Humane League say “Cage-free” refers to farm environments where chickens who produce eggs—known as laying hens (or layer hens)—live in open indoor spaces. Overall, cage-free represents an increased quality of life for hens as compared with those held in cages.