Feathers fly over hens in cages

The fate of California's 19 million egg-laying hens is coming to a polling place near you.Same-sex marriage, parental notification of abortion -- the November ballot is studded with weighty issues, but none is ruffling feathers like Proposition 2, which would effectively ban farms from raising hens in cages.The United Egg Producers predicts the measure would triple the cost of eggs, drive the industry out of the state and deprive consumers of fresh, safe California eggs.Supporters, including the Humane Society of the United States, say it would add only about a penny to the cost of an egg -- and end the practice of cramming hens into cages so small they can't even turn around.They argue the egg industry has reaped record profits in the past year while the price of an egg has jumped 6 cents."We're talking about a pretty small (additional) increase to get these animals out of these horrible, crammed cages," said Jennifer Fearing, chief economist for the Humane Society and manager of the "Yes on Proposition 2" campaign.Fearing cites a 2005 study commissioned by the industry that concluded the cost of getting rid of cages would be nominal. Julie Buckner, a spokeswoman for "No on Proposition 2," said those costs were associated with chickens raised for meat -- not eggs.A Field Poll released last month showed the measure leading by the highest margin of any initiative -- 63 percent to 24 percent, with 13 percent undecided.But opponents noted that few respondents -- only 16 percent -- were aware of the issue. They say the polling was skewed by the measure's original title, "The California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act," which has since been changed by the attorney general's office to "Standards for Confining Farm Animals."If approved, Proposition 2 would also require farmers to increase the space available for calves raised for veal and pregnant pigs. But there is little veal production in California, and farmers have voluntarily phased out confining sows in breeding crates. Supporters say those provisions were added as preventive measures.The focus of the campaign will be California's egg-laying hens, more than 90 percent of which are raised in cages.Proposition 2 would require hens to be housed in a way that allows them to fully spread their wings without touching the side of an enclosure or other hens. Farmers who violate the law could be charged with a misdemeanor and face a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment or both.The two sides are gearing up for a costly campaign battle that is drawing contributors from throughout the nation.Supporters have raised more than $4.2 million, most of which has come from the Humane Society of the United States. Opponents, including several out-of-state egg producers, have raised $1.7 million.California is the fifth-largest egg-producing state, after Iowa, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania, according to the Agriculture Department and the American Egg Board.Both sides stipulate the initiative would end the confinement of egg-laying hens in cages in California because bigger cages would be too costly.A study commissioned by the industry concluded that the measure would obligate farmers to build eight to 16 times more henhouses than the current system.Proponents of the measure contend egg producers would still make healthy profits. But opponents say the measure would cost nearly 3,400 jobs and take $615 million out of the state's economy.Industry officials say the cages cut down on incidence of egg-associated salmonella because chickens in cages are not so easily contaminated. Opponents cite the build-up of manure as a public hazard.A report issued earlier this year by the Pew Charitable Trusts and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health called for a 10-year phase-out of intensive confinement systems such as those used to house egg-laying hens and tighter regulation of manure, which can sicken both workers and neighbors.(Contact Aurelio Rojas at arojas(at)sacbee.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)