Farm Animal Welfare Policies Cover Breeding Sows, Veal Calves, or Laying Hens in 14 U.S. States

In the United States, animal welfare standards are among the many considerations facing producers. Until recently, relatively few Federal policies addressed standards of treatment for farm animals, allowing each industry to largely define those standards. Since 2002, 14 U.S States have passed policies addressing practices that can affect farm animal welfare, with the most common policies aimed at the use of animal confinement in pork, veal, and egg production. Moreover, some States ban sales of animal products imported from operations in other States that do not follow the animal welfare requirements. But even with a growing geographic reach, these policies cover a relatively small proportion of U.S. animal production.