While Prop 12 would ultimately abolish cages, it would also allow tens of thousands of hens to be confined to massive sheds with no more than 1 square foot of space per bird. Did you know that this is the same amount of space that the factory farming industry already requires for the "cage-free" label and less than is required under a similar law passed in Massachusetts in 2016? We have seen firsthand that, in such crowded conditions, hens can barely move a muscle because they're almost on top of each other. There is nowhere for them to go.
Take a look at how birds suffer in our recently revealed eyewitness video taken inside a Nellie's Free Range Eggs supplier—a living egg factory that actually allows them more space than Prop 12 would. Those hens have to fight to get to one of the little hatches (which are only open sometimes) to the patch of dirt outside—and most don't try, because they can't battle that many other birds. Denied the ability to establish a pecking order, they're mostly afraid of each other. Prop 12 supports less than this amount of room!