Jack Astor's, Canyon Creek commit to serving cage-free eggs this fall

BUSINESS

Jack Astor's, Canyon Creek commit to serving cage-free eggs this fall

The Canadian Press Published Thursday, February 18, 2016 10:51AM EST

Eggs laid by cage-free chickens sit in a holder after being sorted by Francis Blake on his organic farm, in this file photo from Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, near Waukon, Iowa. (AP/Charlie Neibergall)

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TORONTO - The owner of Jack Astor's and Canyon Creek restaurants will soon start serving eggs laid by hens not cooped up in cages.

SIR Corp, the owner of the two restaurant chains and several others, announced Thursday all 64 of its restaurants will make the shift by September.

The promise comes after public pledges by several other companies to start dishing up only cage-free eggs as well, including Tim Hortons, McDonald's, and Starbucks. However, most of these companies say it will take between four and 10 years to make the change.

Currently, about 90 per cent of Canada's egg farmers keep hens in battery cages, which house several hens and offer each one the floor space of a standard piece of paper.

Egg Farmers of Canada, which represents more than 1,000 of the country's egg farms, recently said its members will meet the growing demand for cage-free eggs.

By 2036, all the eggs produced by its member farms will come from hens living in either enriched cages -- bigger units that provide space and amenities, such as perches, for the animals to exhibit natural behaviours -- or in free-run, aviary or free-range environments.