BVA calls for ban on cages for laying hens
More than 85 per cent of vets had concerns about hen welfare.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has collaborated with the British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA) to call for a ban on all cages for laying hens.
The organisation believes the cages, which it says are ‘slightly bigger than an A4 piece of paper per hen’, have a negative impact on animal welfare.
Following a directive in 1999, conventional battery cages were banned in the UK in 2012. These ‘barren’ cages were replaced with enriched cages, which had features added to improve welfare.
However, in its policy statement, the BVA says these cages are still too small to allow laying hens to express their natural behaviours.
BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey found that more than 85 per cent of vets were concerned about the use of cages for laying hens and their welfare. The main concern shared related to the restrictions on their natural behaviours.
In collaboration with the BVPA, BVA has concluded that, while enriched cages meet some basic needs, they deliver ‘significantly poorer’ welfare outcomes than cage-free systems.
Their joint policy statement sets out calls for enriched cages to be phased out for laying hens. It adds that it is ‘vital’ the UK government prevents the import of eggs, liquid eggs and powdered eggs from caged systems in other countries.
Both organisations recommend that the ban is supported with a clearly staged and adequately funded transition period which is aligned with developments in the EU.
Rob Williams, BVA president, said: “With much of the UK already moving towards cage-free systems such as organic, barn housing or free-range, we’re calling for the UK Government to phase out cages entirely to help improve the welfare of hundreds of thousands of birds.
“However, it must not be forgotten that these alternative systems have their own challenges which must also be addressed to ensure the continued welfare improvement for our nation’s laying hens.”
Adrian Knoetze, BVPA junior vice-president, said: “This position paper highlights the various welfare impacts of different housing systems for laying hens.
“Farms and veterinarians continue to focus on improving the welfare of hens regardless of the housing system and with the market transitioning to non-caged systems a ban is reasonable. In addition, it emphasises the risk that a ban on enriched cages in the UK could result in exporting welfare concerns abroad.”
The full policy statement is published on their website.
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