Defra reveals welfare plans for laying hens and lambs
Colony cage systems could be phased out by 2032.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has proposed new plans for animal welfare, including tighter restrictions on a number of sheep procedures.
The new proposals will seek to end the use of colony cages for laying hens, as well as introducing new measures for sheep procedures such as castration and tail docking.
As part of the new plans, farmers would be expected to further minimise pain for lambs undergoing castration or tail docking procedures. They would be asked to make greater use of pain relief and to consider alternative methods.
Defra says that currently ‘sheep mutilation practices’ are causing pain to lambs, and are carried out without pain relief. Its proposed measures are built on scientific evidence and are informed by the independent Animal Welfare Committee.
The plans also see Defra tackle the use of colony cage systems in the laying hen sector.
Defra states that enriched colony cage eggs currently supply over 20 per cent of UK shell egg production. The cages restrict the movement of laying hens, keeping up to 80 birds in each cage.
Each hen has a space no bigger than an A4 piece of paper.
Under the new plans, all colony cage systems, including from smaller producers, will be phased out by 2032. UK retailers, including Sainsbury’s and Aldi, have already committed to not selling eggs produced from cage systems.
The proposals are being presented as a first step towards the animal welfare reforms which were set out in Defra’s Animal Welfare Strategy. The strategy seeks to ensure farm animals have the freedom to express their natural behaviours and live in dignity.
Anthony Field, head of Compassion in World Farming UK, said: “We are optimistic that this will be the first of many meaningful and lasting changes. Phasing out cages for the millions of hens kept behind bars every year cannot come soon enough, and we hope the outcome of this consultation will be an ambitious timeline for phasing out these cruel systems.
“We also welcome the launch of a consultation to improve the welfare of lambs. Lambs are routinely subjected to painful, unnecessary mutilations. Castration and tail docking are usually carried out without anaesthetic or pain relief, causing great suffering, so this is an extremely encouraging move.
“We look forward to seeing positive changes for millions of other farmed animals in the coming years and to working with government to achieve this.”
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