Egg producers in Arizona will have an extra 20 months to prepare for a state law banning cages for laying hens.
A state law mandating that all eggs sold in the state come from cage-free hens had been scheduled to take effect on May 1, 2023. However, following protests by Arizonan egg producers, the state agriculture department pushed that deadline back to Jan. 1, 2025. One of the producers, Hickman Family Farms, said that it would have to euthanize part of its flock because it would be unable to meet the earlier deadline.
Under the new schedule, starting Oct. 1 of this year through the end of 2024, laying hens must have a minimum of one square foot of floor space. After that, the cage-free mandate will kick in.
