The sale of eggs from caged hens is set to be outlawed in Washington after Governor Jay Inslee signed a groundbreaking bill.
Keeping battery hens in tiny cages will be illegal in the state once the law comes into force in 2023, and the sale of any eggs produced by caged hens elsewhere will also be outlawed.
Washington follows suit of California, which introduced prop 12 to outlaw hen factory farming last year. At the time activists hoped it would spread across the country, and it seems their wishes are coming into reality.
8 million birds
The Humane Society has estimated that 8 million birds will benefit from the new law each year.
Animal rights group Compassion Over Killing celebrated the news. “Without these protections, egg-laying hens on factory farms are stuffed into tiny wire cages so small they cannot even spread their wings,” the group said in a statement.
“These smart and social animals are deprived of their most basic natural behaviours and treated in ways that would be considered unimaginable for cats or dogs.”
Though the new legislation does improve conditions for hens, activists warn that this does not mean eggs bought in the state are cruelty-free.
“As always, the best way to protect animals is to leave them off our plates,” the statement added.
Massachusetts has also signed off a law prohibiting excessively small cages for egg-laying hens.
Many hens in factory farms across the world are kept in cages measuring 67-76 inches, leading animals to lose their feathers, injure themselves and suffer cuts and bruises.
What do you think of the decision to ban factory egg farming in Washington? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Gordon Ramsay Ditches Vegan Hate and Backs Flora’s Plant-Based Butter in New ‘Skip the Cow’ Campaign
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 28th January 2025
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, once infamous for his digs at vegans, has taken a sharp turn in the kitchen. Ramsay has teamed up with Flora, the famous UK-based spread brand, as its global ambassador, marking a bold new chapter in Flora’s “Skip the Cow” campaign. Flora, established in 1964, has long been a household name …
The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Places in Latin America
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 27th January 2025
Latin America is experiencing an extraordinary rise in plant-based dining options. A new study, spearheaded by Veganuary in partnership with the food discovery platform HappyCow, reveals that Latin America now boasts over 10,000 vegan, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly restaurants—an impressive 21.6% jump compared to last year. Brazil takes the crown as the number one country, with …
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VEGAN MEMES
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QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. [wpViralQuiz id=27203]
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. [wpViralQuiz id=33494]
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. [wpViralQuiz id=31281] Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God