While California egg producers adapt to new cage laws, the industry in neighboring Nevada is booming. The Capitol Press reports poultry and egg production cash receipts in Nevada are up 200 percent since 2010, from a level of $5.32 million to $15.9 million in 2014.
The jump comes as the state’s overall agriculture production value rose by 50 percent during the same period, according to the Nevada Department of Agriculture. The agency says cow-calf, milk and hay production helped drive the growth. However, farmers and the department would not say if the California cage laws spurred increased poultry sales for Nevada. California voters passed Proposition Two in 2008, requiring that each egg-laying hen have at least 116 square inches to spread its wings. The new rules have been blamed for a drop in egg production in California. However, both egg production and the number of layers in California have been rebounding since early 2015.