This Thursday, the United Egg Producers and the United States Humane Society signed an agreement giving chickens more living space.

The proposed legislation would:

• mandate a replacement of conventional cages (currently used by more than 90 percent of the egg industry) with new housing systems that provide each hen nearly double the amount of space they’re currently allotted.
• require that all egg-laying hens be provided with enough space to carry out natural behaviors, such as perches, nesting boxes, and scratching areas;
• require nationwide egg carton labeling to inform consumers of the method used to produce the eggs, such as “eggs from caged hens,” “eggs from hens in enriched cages,” “eggs from cage-free hens,” and “eggs from free-range hens”;
• prohibit feed- or water-withholding molting to extend the laying cycle;
• require standards approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association for euthanasia for egg laying hens;
• prohibit excessive ammonia levels in henhouses

Currently, about 97 percent of America’s eggs are produced by hens in battery cages, which have 67 square inches of space per bird. “Cage-free” hens, which produce 2 percent of U.S. eggs, live in open indoor barns and have 120 inches each. The new agreement could give chickens up to 144 inches a piece.

The legislation might seem like a small change but, if passed, it would become the first federal law governing animal treatment on farms.

On Thursday, the Humane Society of the United States reached an agreement with the United Egg Producers, which represents farmers raising hens that lay four in every five of the nation’s eggs. As William Neuman reports, both sides plan to urge Congress to pass new standards for the treatment of the birds; the rules would be phased in over the next 18 years. If passed, it could be the first federal law addressing the treatment of farm animals.