No.
An Arizona regulation requiring eggs sold within the state to come from cage-free hens is not yet in effect. The state Department of Agriculture initially postponed implementation of the rule from January 2025 to January 2026 in response to the current avian flu outbreak, citing already-limited egg availability across the United States. Gov. Katie Hobbs later directed the department to delay implementation further.
Since January 2022, when the present avian flu strain began circulating widely in the United States, the disease has led to the deaths of more than 166 million poultry, including commercial and backyard chickens. The U.S. tests all commercial poultry flocks for avian flu year-round as a biosecurity measure. If even one case is detected, the entire flock is excluded from the food system, ultimately affecting the country’s egg supply.
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Arizona Secretary of State, Arizona Administrative Register, 2022
- National Chicken Council, Questions and Answers on Avian Influenza (“Bird Flu”)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USDA Reported H5N1 Bird Flu Detections in Poultry
- United States Department of Agriculture, Egg Markets Overview March 7, 2025
- Arizona Department of Agriculture, Substantive Policy Statement, Enforcement of poultry husbandry and production of eggs sold in this state.
- Penn State Law, Understanding the Basics of Farm Animal Handling & Confinement Laws Legislative, & Regulatory Actions by State
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
