Morrisons becomes first major supermarket to only sell free-range eggs in all of its stores

Previously, 2 million eggs came from caged hens.

The move comes five years ahead of the retailer's original target after Morrisons more than doubled the number of farmers it works with and increased the egg supply at its own manufacturing site.

The commitment will mean all Morrisons eggs will come from hens that have outdoor access for at least eight hours each day as well as nest boxes with wider perches and spaces for scratching and dust bathing.

Morrisons said the egg industry will need an extra 334,000 free roaming chickens following the decision.

The group originally committed to move away from caged eggs by 2025 after listening to a consumer campaign spearheaded by teenager Lucy Gavaghan in 2016.

Morrisons is committed to ensuring that 100 per cent of eggs used as ingredients in its products are from free-range eggs by 2025.

The firm is also dropping the price of a pack of six free range eggs from 80p to 75p to make them more affordable.

Robert Hofmann, Morrisons' egg buyer, said: “Improving animal welfare is very important to customers and it’s very important to us. We source our eggs directly from farms and have worked hard to help them all move to free range.

“From today, all our eggs will come from free-range hens that are able to roam freely outdoors – typically during daylight hours - and then return to nest boxes in the evening.”

Dr Tracey Jones, director of food business at Compassion in World Farming, said: “It’s great to see Morrisons achieving their commitment to be 100 per cent free-range on shell eggs ahead of their 2022 target.

"Momentum on ending the use of cages for laying hens is growing and Morrisons are leading the way. Importantly, they also have a 2025 cage-free commitment on the eggs that go into processed and ingredient foods.”

Whilst Morrisons is the first of the big four supermarkets to go 100 per cent free-range, the Co-op has only sold free-range eggs for the past 12 years and all of Waitrose's own-label eggs have been free-range since 2006

In addition, the Co-op only uses free-range eggs as an ingredient in its own brand products and has done so since 2010.

A spokesman for Waitrose said: "We were the first supermarket to refuse to sell fresh eggs laid by hens kept in cages in 2001 - more than a decade ahead of the 2012 EU ban on battery cages

"All eggs used as an ingredient within a Waitrose product are free range or organic. This has been the case since 2008."