Cal-Maine Foods will spend $40.1 million to expand cage-free egg production at the companys Guthrie, Ky., production facility.

The project will convert existing conventional capacity to house approximately 1.5 million cage-free hens and 300,000 pullets. Construction will commence immediately with initial conversions expected in early 2021, first pullet placements by summer 2021 and the first layer house finished by fall 2021. Project completion is expected by late 2022.

"Across the country, a growing number of states have passed minimum space and/or cage-free requirements with implementations ranging from January 2022 to January 2026," said Dolph Baker, chairman and CEO. "Including this latest project, we have allocated approximately $462.5 million during the prior 12 years to facilities, equipment and related operations to expand our cage-free production."