Strange Bedfellows

All Things Considered on a deal between the United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States:

In early July, the two sides announced that they had reached an agreement to jointly lobby Congress for new federal rules that would phase out all traditional chicken cages within 15 years. The law was formally introduced this week.
As a minimum, the chickens would have to be held in so-called enriched cages — a style developed in Europe. These cages are a compromise between efficient, large-scale production and letting chickens do some things that they seem to really like.
At the JS West farm, south of Modesto, one chicken house already has these cages.
I notice right away that chickens in this building have almost twice as much space as the ones I saw next door.
Jill Benson, one of the company's owners, points out other features. There are metal bars for the birds to perch on, and enclosed spaces, called nest boxes. Those spaces seem really popular among the hens.

Wow, perches and nest boxes.  Sounds like egg production for ages.  Who'd have thought chickens like that stuff?  I honestly don't understand why farmers get so stubborn about these issues when the Walmarts and McDonalds are going along with demanding change.  If your biggest customers want you to change, you better plan on changing.  Actually, the Republican party ought to look toward the Humane Society of the U.S. on ways to compromise while still getting much of what you want.  Nah, forget it, the Republicans are much more radical than the H.S.U.S.