Up to 500,000 hens are being kept in battery cages on farms in the UK despite an EU-wide ban which came into force at the beginning of the year. Since 1 January, all laying hens must be kept in “enriched” cages with extra space to nest, scratch and roost.
Are there still battery farms in the UK?
The simple answer is no. In the UK, commercial hens are farmed under three different systems: Colony or enriched cages replaced the old barren battery cage system in 2012.
Are battery hens allowed in the UK?
Are battery chickens banned in the UK? Sadly not. In the UK, about 35% of chickens that lay eggs are still kept in cages.
Does factory farming happen in the UK?
While it is often claimed that the UK is one of the countries with the highest standards of animal welfare worldwide, the reality is that around 73% of farmed animals in the UK are kept in factory farms.
How many chickens are battery farmed in the UK?
Approximately 1 billion chickens are slaughtered every year in the UK for meat. About 95% of them are reared on factory farms. The Humane League describes this as “one of the most pressing animal welfare issues of our time”.
Are caged eggs still sold?
POPULAR restaurant chains and supermarkets are still using eggs from caged hens to make own-brand products, new research has revealed.
How old are battery hens when slaughtered?
approximately 72 weeks old
At approximately 72 weeks old the birds are removed (called depopulation) and transported to the slaughterhouse. In many countries there are fewer abattoirs with facilities for slaughtering laying hens and birds often travel much further to a slaughterhouse than meat chickens (broilers).
Are caged hens cruel?
Battery cages
Unable even to spread their wings, caged laying hens are among the most intensively confined animals in agribusiness. Caged hens also suffer from the denial of many natural behaviors such as nesting, perching, and dustbathing, all important for hen welfare.
When did the EU ban battery cages?
2012
An EU Directive in 1999 banned the use of conventional battery cages and replacing them with enriched battery cages, but not until 2012 to allow time for the industry to replace its equipment without undue cost.
What are battery hens fed on?
Battery Hen pullets are often fed high protein diets of around 18 or 19% crude protein for a period after the birds have been housed to boost their growth and egg size as quickly as possible. But pushing the birds like this with higher protein often results in poor shell quality later on in their lives.
How much of the UK is factory-farmed?
73%
Compassion in World Farming explains that 73% of farmed animals in the UK are kept in factory farms where “they spend their lives in overcrowded, barren barns or cages, deprived of fresh air, natural light and the ability to express their natural behaviors.”
Where are factory farms located UK?
Herefordshire has more than 16 million factory-farmed animals, mainly poultry – which means the county has 88 times more factory-farmed animals than it does humans. Shropshire and Norfolk follow closely, with more than 15 million and 12 million animals respectively.
What percentage of farms are factory farms UK?
Chicken ‘welfare’ on UK farms
Of the 1.12 billion chickens killed for meat annually in the UK, around 95 percent are factory farmed.
Is cage farming allowed in UK?
The UK Government must legislate to ‘End the Cage Age’ for all farmed animals. The European Commission plans to ban cages for all farmed animals, potentially by 2027, and will also look to prohibit the import of food from caged systems.
How old is a chicken when slaughtered UK?
42 days
Birds can be slaughtered anywhere from 28 days to 81 (if they are organic) days old. In the UK, the typical slaughter age is just 42 days. Despite looking like adults, due to their accelerated growth, factory-farmed birds are still just chicks when they are killed.
How long are battery hens kept?
72 weeks
The term battery hen refers to intensively reared hybrid (cross breed) laying hens. They arrive at their farm when they’re around 18 weeks old and are kept indoors in rows of cages until they reach 72 weeks of age.
Are battery cages banned in the UK?
“We are a nation of animal lovers.” Therefore, we must ensure that we treat animals with compassion. The Bill will help do that by liberating millions of hens from inhumane cages. The UK banned the use of battery cages for hens in 2012, but the ban did not extend to so-called enriched cages.
Why shouldn’t you buy free range eggs?
Free range sheds can contain up to nine birds per square metre – that’s like 14 adults living in a one-room flat. Some multi-tier sheds (still “free range”) contain 16,000 hens. So while these poor birds can theoretically go outdoors, they can also be too crammed in and too traumatised to find the few exit holes.
Why are cage-free eggs cheaper?
This is because it is less labor-intensive. Also, hens living in such controlled conditions do not eat as much as those that are free to roam around. The limited cost of raising hens in this way reflects in the cost of their eggs, as caged hens’ eggs tend to be the cheapest eggs available.
Do ex battery hens still lay eggs?
Ex-battery hens should still have a large number of eggs to lay for you but keep in mind that commercially they are ‘spent’ hens and like any chicken will lay less and less every year, sometimes with a thinner egg-shell as they get to 3 or 4 years old.
Are free-range eggs available in the UK?
Free-range eggs come from hens that have unlimited outdoors access during the daytime. The RSPCA says about 55% of all eggs produced in the UK are free-range.