Ah, Michigan—the state where lawmakers are cracking down on egg-laying conditions while ignoring the financial scramble they’re creating for everyday families.
Starting before the New Year, nearly all eggs sold in Michigan will have to come from cage-free birds. That’s right, as egg prices are already soaring, the state government decided it was the perfect time to pile on more regulations. Because when your grocery bill is through the roof, what you really need is lawmakers telling you your eggs need to come from a chicken with its own penthouse suite.
The law passed back in 2019, requires chickens to have enough room to stretch their wings, turn around freely, and lie down in comfort—because Michigan is apparently more worried about avian yoga sessions than making sure working families can afford breakfast. Sure, it sounds nice in theory, but in practice? These cage-free systems are more expensive to operate, and guess who’s footing the bill? Hint: it’s not Governor Gretchen Whitmer or the legislators who cooked up this idea.
The timing of this couldn’t be worse. Egg prices have already been skyrocketing thanks to inflation, holiday demand, and the lingering effects of bird flu outbreaks. According to industry experts, prices have been climbing since 2023 and show no signs of coming back down in 2025. Eggs are up a staggering 8.2% just in the last month. And while wholesale prices are through the roof, consumers are paying an even higher markup at the grocery store. You know it’s bad when families are starting to debate whether Sunday brunch is worth taking out a second mortgage.
Eggs are nearly $4 a dozen in Michigan and a new state law is about to make them even more expensivehttps://t.co/982phS3NhB
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) December 19, 2024
But wait, it gets better! Small farms with fewer than 3,000 hens are exempt from the law. So let me get this straight: big producers have to spend millions to upgrade their facilities to meet these new standards, but small farms get a pass? Apparently, fairness isn’t in the recipe. Oh, and liquid and cooked eggs are also exempt, so you can still get your factory-farmed omelets guilt-free if they’re pre-scrambled. The logic here is about as clear as a poached egg.
Advocates argue that these laws are about “animal welfare,” but here’s the thing: even the United Egg Producers, whose guidelines inspired Michigan’s rules, admit that cage-free systems come with their own problems. Chickens in these setups are more prone to injury and disease. So, while we’re giving hens a few extra inches of floor space, we’re also putting them at greater risk. Brilliant.
Michigan will be forced to pay for cage-free eggs come January. Michigan residents earn the 11th lowest income in the nation, but we’re somehow supposed to afford bougie eggs. #CageFreeComeJanuary #PoorMichiganPaysMore4Less https://t.co/M378BaRlzx pic.twitter.com/PYeQMQ8DzE
— Heather Dow (@PatriotPostGirl) December 17, 2024
And where’s Governor Whitmer in all this? Silent. She hasn’t offered a peep about how her state plans to offset the financial strain this will cause for families already struggling with inflated grocery bills. Maybe she’s too busy working on her next campaign slogan—something like, “Pay more for your eggs, but hey, the chickens are comfy!”
At the end of the day, this is yet another example of government overreach masquerading as moral high ground. Michigan’s families deserve policies that balance ethical farming practices with economic reality—not pie-in-the-sky mandates that make breakfast a luxury item. But for now, it looks like we’ll all just have to shell out more for that omelet.
