Farm Animal Initiative

Washingtonians for Humane Farms, backed by The Humane Society of the United States, is working to place a new measure to prohibit crammed living spaces for egg-laying hens on the upcoming Washington state ballot. Known as the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, the initiative prohibits cruel confinement of hens who are housed in stacked cages or in a manner that prevents them from freely turning, lying down, stretching, or standing up. The act would also outlaw the sale of eggs from confined hens. Around six million hens in Washington are currently housed in battery cages where they can move no more than an inch.