Michael Foods, Minnetonka, Minn., announced plans to convert its Bloomfield, Neb., egg layer farm into a cage-free operation.

The project, which is expected to occur from spring 2017 through 2020, calls for replacing the existing 32 layer barns at the farm with 12 cage-free houses. The new layer houses will feature the latest technology in ventilation, lighting and manure-handling equipment, combined with modern housing systems that give layer hens more space and allow them to engage in natural bird behaviors.

“Our Bloomfield investment is the next step in our evolution as the country’s largest value-added provider of egg products. Cage-free eggs are the future of the egg industry, and we continue to work actively with our customers to ensure that we can meet their demand for cage-free products by converting existing farms and investing in new facilities through our dedicated third-party partners,” says Jim Dwyer, president and CEO of Michael Foods Group, a division of Post Holdings, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.