Chick-fil-A may not hit one of its biggest food-sourcing goals after all. Nearly 10 years after the company pledged to use only cage-free eggs by the end of 2026, the fast-food chain now says the timeline is no longer guaranteed due to ongoing supply issues tied to bird flu.
According to Fox News, the Atlanta-based company quietly updated its website to acknowledge that its long-promised transition is now in doubt.
“In 2016, Chick-fil-A communicated we would source only 100% cage-free eggs by 2026,” the company states. “Currently, our ability to meet this commitment in the stated time frame is uncertain due to numerous industry dynamics and the significant impact the bird flu has had over the past several months and continues to have on our industry.”
The announcement marks a major shift for Chick-fil-A, which made the original pledge during a wave of corporate promises around animal welfare and food transparency.
At the time, the company positioned the move as part of a broader effort to improve sourcing standards across its menu.
Chick-fil-A serves eggs in several breakfast staples, including its Egg White Grill, breakfast burritos, and chicken biscuit sandwiches.
The company has not said how close it is to meeting the goal, and declined to provide additional details beyond the statement on its website. Chick-fil-A did say, however, that its suppliers must still meet “strict quality standards” and that the company complies with state laws requiring cage-free eggs.
At least nine states, including California, Massachusetts, and Colorado, now require eggs sold within their borders to come from cage-free hens.
The biggest obstacle appears to be bird flu, also known as avian influenza. The disease has disrupted egg production across the United States over the past several years, following outbreaks that wiped out millions of birds.
Highly pathogenic strains such as H5N1 spread quickly through poultry farms and can be fatal to chickens, forcing producers to cull entire flocks.
While human infections remain rare, the virus has occasionally spread to people and other animals through direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments.
Even so, Chick-fil-A is facing questions because other major chains, including McDonald's and Starbucks, have already completed their transitions to 100% cage-free eggs.
Cage-free production has also expanded significantly in recent years, with nearly half of America’s egg-laying hens raised cage-free as of 2025.
Chick-fil-A says it is still reviewing its policies, stating, “We are constantly evaluating our policies and seeking to ensure our policy best reflects what is best both for our guests and animal well-being.”
