Several livestock and poultry groups have sent a joint letter to Congress, urging it to reject the agreement on hen housing reached by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the United Egg Producers (UEP).
The groups say the agreement would impose “costly and unnecessary animal rights mandates” on the U.S. egg industry and would cost the egg industry nearly 10 billion dollars. They say it would also increase prices and limit choice for consumers.
However, the immediate past chairman of UEP defends the agreement made with HSUS. Indiana egg farmer Bob Krouse, president of Midwest Poultry Services, says it was of interest to both groups.
“It’s one of the rare instances where their goals and our goals intersected,” Krouse says, “and we thought we had a much better chance of seeing this become law if we worked together on it, than if we continued to fight each other.”
The agreement calls for egg producers to transition from conventional cage housing to “enriched” colony cages, by 2029. Ninety-five percent of all eggs are produced in conventional cages today.
The transition would be enforced by federal legislation in the form of an amendment to the U.S. Egg Products Inspection Act.
Krouse says the letter isn’t about the specifics the amendment would have on egg production—but rather the potential it could possibly have on other animal ag species in the future.
But, he says, it’s still disappointing. “We’re disappointed as egg farmers that we’re not seeing the support that we really need from other fellow farmers,” Krouse says. “We understand their concerns—but this is a solution for egg farmers—and if we had a better solution, we would be proposing it.”
The letter was signed by the Egg Farmers of America, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, American Sheep Industry Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council and National Turkey Federation.
Brownfield’s Meghan Grebner contributed to this story.
Latest: 
Anyone that believes HSUS has been lobbying the government,
Follow the instructions below.
1. ******* http://wh.gov/WaF Sign the White House petition to investigate the HSUS Lobbying********
Other links to sign the petition include: https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petitions
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/investigate-humane-society-united-states-non-compliance-lobbying-disclosure-act-1995/42RtSR6W?tm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl
Be patient – with overuse the site is slow and will say it is down. Just keep trying. We have to reach the 25,000 by February 1, 2012.
Write your Reps about the Lobbying disclosure act. For more information and instructions:
http://thecavalrygroup.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-call-to-action-by-frank-losey.html