The Pennsylvania-based egg producer that had a fire in Lebanon in April said Thursday it will phase out the practice of confining millions of chickens in cages in Ohio and Connecticut, handing a victory to animal welfare groups demanding cage-free operations.
Hillandale Farms said cage-free chicken houses are being built in the two states. The first cage-free facility is expected to be completed by the end of September 2017 in Hicksville, Ohio, and the second in Bozrah, Conn., soon after.
The Ohio facility is permitted to house 2 million birds and in Connecticut, 3.1 million birds are housed, with the cage-free facility permitted for 2.1 million additional birds if necessary, Hillandale spokeswoman Melanie Wilt said.
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