Today
The commercial egg industry in the U.S. has grown rapidly over the past 50 years, and its growth reflects the changing needs of our society. Today, only 2 percent of the population lives in farms. This 2 percent produces food for the remaining 98 percent of us. As people moved into cities and suburbs with fewer people raising their own food, the demand for eggs increased while the supply diminished. The modern egg industry was born in response to this demand.
To meet a growing demand, farmers needed to upgrade their production facilities while keeping in mind the health and welfare of their birds. They also recognized the need to deliver eggs to the market in the most economical manner possible. The modern day cage system was found to be the one system that could meet both requirements. Click here for advantages of cage production.
To a large degree, animal welfare guidelines have been researched by agriculture researchers at universities and have been adopted by the farmers. As a result, today’s farming practices have been shaped by research and innovation.
Today, we would estimate that 98 percent or more of the commercial egg production in the U.S. and an estimated 70 to 80 percent of the world’s egg production are derived from caged layers.
Modern egg farms, operating in a completely free-market system with no government assistance programs or quotas, require large capital investments. While these farms have grown to meet the market demand, they are still family farms – with the owner still on the farm making day-to-day decisions. Only two egg-production companies in the U.S. share ownership with publicly traded stocks.
