A new animal welfare program has been developed for egg farmers that provides the scientific references from 42 research articles substantiating the provisions in the guidelines. These guidelines have been submitted to the Food Marketing Institute and the National Grocers Association as another option for egg farmers to incorporate into their production practices in response to the animal welfare concerns of consumers requesting science-based standards of production.
The National Association of Egg Farmers is offering this voluntary program free-of-charge to its members.
Today’s modern, conventional farming methods provides animals in the care of farmers, protection from inclement weather, predators, and in the case of caged chickens, a year-around supply of optimal temperatures.
The goal of these science-based production practices is to qualify with published research the health and welfare of livestock and to demonstrate the farmer’s abiding by the moral obligatoion to provide a healthy environment for the chickens.