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The Trust Project

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Illustration of a government building with a gavel and a hand in the background, accompanied by a "Fact Brief" label in the bottom right corner.
(Provided by Gigafact)

Yes.

Starting Jan. 1, all eggs sold in Colorado must be cage-free. The law applies to any Colorado egg-producer with more than 3,000 egg-laying hens. In addition to chickens, the law also covers turkeys, ducks, geese and guinea fowl.  

The law passed as House Bill 1343 in 2020 and first took effect at the beginning of 2023, mandating that each hen be given at least 1 square foot of floor space. The transition in 2025 requires that all farm owners have a “cage-free housing system,” allowing hens to roam free in containment. Hens must have access to scratch areas, nest boxes, dust bathing areas and perches. 

The goal of the law is to improve animal welfare. Additionally, some Colorado producers already voluntarily follow cage-free requirements. Standardizing the practice is intended to create a fair Colorado egg market.

See full source list below.

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References:

All Eggs Sold in Colorado Starting in 2025 Will Be Cage Free, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Oct. 28 2024. Source link.

Egg-laying Hen Confinement Standards, Colorado General Assembly, accessed in November 2024. Source link.

Cage-free eggs, Colorado Department of Agriculture, accessed in November 2024. Source link.

King Soopers transitioning to cage-free eggs, KKTV 11, Oct. 21, 2024. Source link.

Type of Story: Fact-Check

Checks a specific statement or set of statements asserted as fact.

Por recently graduated from CU Boulder with a master’s degree in journalism and is interested in writing about the environment and exploring local stories. When not working on some form of writing, Por is either looking for Thai food or petting...