No, the Government is Not Coming for Your Bacon and Egg Roll By Phasing Out Caged Eggs

The federal government has announced plans to phase out eggs produced by caged chickens by 2036 as part of a broader scheme to increase animal welfare nationally and end the practice of battery farming.

As with almost any issue when it comes to animals and agriculture, people aren’t happy. Animal rights groups have already criticised the plan for being too slow, while the farming industry has criticised it for being too fast.

The Daily Mail, for its part, has taken a swipe at the government for what they see as an attack on the humble bacon and egg roll, the life-giving breakfast saviour of hungover people everywhere.

The federal government has been forced to make the new proposals after an independent inquiry recommended the changes.

The government however denies that it had been forced to make the changes and claims it has always been in full support.

About Clucking Time

Australia is already an outlier in the welfare standards of chickens, with 30 out of the 36 OECD nations already having phased out battery cages or being in the process of getting rid of them

RSPCA senior policy officer Jed Goodfellow told the ABC that battery cages have been banned in Europe since 2012 and that New Zealand plans to phase them out by next year.

“Australia really is lagging behind at the moment so it is pleasing to see we’re seeing some progress finally,” Goodfellow said. “We would like to see the transition timeline shortened considerably. Ten to 15 years is far too long.