17 September 2016
The USDA Agriculture Marketing Services (AMS) has updated the population of hens in the U.S. maintained in other than conventional cages.
The following projections relate to 2016:-
Total U.S. cage-free flock: 30 million (9.9% of U.S. hen population)
USDA Certified Organic flocks: 13.5 million (4.5%)
Conventional egg, cage-free: 16.6 million (5.5% ).
Since 2010, USDA Certified Organic flocks have increased from 6.1 to 13.5 million hens (121%) and conventional cage-free flocks from 6.1 million to 16.6 million hens (172%).