United Egg Producers team with Humane Society to support national legislation for egg laying hens

Animal rights groups and the meat industry have never been two to agree.

But you know what they say: Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

In what could result in the greatest advancement for farmed animals in U.S. history, the United Egg Producers (UEP) has agreed to join the Humane Society of the United States to support national legislation that would improve the lives of egg laying hens across the nation. No need to clean the crud out of your ears―it's true. And it's a game-changer.

If passed in Congress, this will be the first federal regulation of any kind for the treatment of farmed animals, and the first federal legislation on animal cruelty in 30 years.

Here's a snapshot of what we're looking at if the regulations go through:

Bye, bye battery cages. The use of battery cages for raising egg-laying hens will be banned altogether. Yes, ma'am. To give you an idea of just how bad they have it, it's common for four hens at a time to be stuffed in an 18" by 20" cage. They can't move or spread their wings. All they can do is eat, lay eggs, shit and try to sleep. More than 250 million hens live this way at any given time.

Within 18 months of passage, battery cages will be replaced with what are being called "enriched colony cages," which will offer twice the floor space for hens to engage in pertinent natural behaviors, including nesting, perching and scratching.

Require new labeling. All egg cartons will be required to inform consumers of the egg production methods, such as "eggs from caged hens" or "eggs from cage-free hens."

Prohibit forced molting. As sick as it sounds, farmers often withhold food and water from hens for up to two weeks to shock their bodies into laying eggs. The new regulations will make this act against the law.

Require standards for euthanasia and limit ammonia levels. Though it doesn't sound much better, the regulation will prohibit excessive ammonia levels, and require that all chickens be put down according to standards set by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Some of the changes will be effective immediately, such as forced molting, ammonia levels and euthanasia. Provisions like the replacement of battery cages will be phased out over a few years to give the national egg industry time to meet the new provisions.

Considering the UEP represents the interests of nearly 80 percent of egg producing farms in the country, this is a big win.  Though the regulations will cost egg farmers approximately $4 billion to implement, the UEP actually approached the Humane Society to forge an agreement. Why, you ask?

As Mitch Head, a spokeman for the UEP, reported to the Huffington Post, "We know that the enriched cages seem to have a lot of advantages over traditional cage systems, and they also have some advantages over cage free," Head said. "There's also the fact that a single national standard is preferable to a patchwork of state regulations―for our producers, our customers and for consumers."

The regulations could take up to a year to get approved by Congress, so keep your eyes peeled for news and updates.