What Came First--The Chicken, The Egg, or California's Job Losses....

Interesting dilemma: Californian voters approved a propostion in 2008 to impose expensive regulations on livestock farmers to require them to (WSJ article)...

"...prevent "cruel confinement" of farm animals in cramped conditions, like small "battery cages" for egg-laying chickens, or "gestation crates" for pregnant pigs."

"The California initiative prohibits confinement of hogs, veal calves and poultry "in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs."

Certainly it is a noble goal to ensure proper treatment of farm animals.

However, this expensive mandate (not due to go into effect unil 2015) is having an adverse effect on the industry in the present...

The law doesn't take effect until Jan. 1, 2015, but farmers already are worried it will drive up costs, because many cages commonly used now probably will have to be scrapped for bigger cages or no cages at all.

"I've got guys saying they're unwilling to make an investment or try to raise capital, because they don't know how to comply" with the measure, said Fiona Hutton, a spokeswoman for the Association of California Egg Farmers.

It is also providing neighboring states with an incentive to lure California producers to their state...

Economic-development officials from Pershing County, Nev., recently visited egg-industry officials in California to pitch Nevada as an alternative home. "We wanted to let them know that we do have the land, the climate, and we'll work with them," said Kathy Johnson, the county's economic development director. "We don't have these stringent regulations that are being imposed now in California."

In Idaho, where there's currently little poultry production, Doug Manning, economic-development director of the town of Burley, said he wanted to offer incentives to poultry farmers as a way to increase jobs and tax revenue in the area. He has heard from a few California farmers who "are looking at some options," Mr. Manning said. "We said, 'When you're ready, give us a chance.'

Interesting trade-offs are presented...Animal protection which is a worthy cause, or jobs that California needs...Which would you choose????