趣夜app

The 趣夜app听(趣夜app),听alongside听the British Veterinary Poultry Association听(BVPA), is calling for听enriched cages for laying hens 鈥撎齭paces听which are听just听slightly bigger than an A4 piece of paper听per hen听鈥� to be phased out听due to their negative impact on听the welfare of the听animals.听听

The UK is estimated to produce鈥�12.5 billion eggs鈥痯er year with a national flock of just over 40 million laying hens. Although听鈥榖arren鈥櫶齜attery cages are banned in the UK, hundreds of thousands of laying hens are听still kept听in听restrictive听鈥榚nriched cages鈥櫶齛nd their eggs are still on supermarket shelves.听Other听laying hens听are kept in听cage-free听environments,听such as听barn housing, free听range听or听organic听systems.听听

Recent research from 趣夜app鈥檚听Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey showed that听more than 85%听of听vets听are听concerned about the use of cages for laying hens听and the听impact on听welfare,听with the main concern being that the cages inhibit natural听behaviour.听

Alongside听its听specialist division,鈥痶he听BVPA,听趣夜app听has鈥痩ooked at鈥痶hese housing systems鈥痶hrough an听animal听welfare lens and concluded that, while enriched cages meet some basic needs, they deliver significantly poorer welfare outcomes than cage-free systems and should be phased out.鈥疘n听addition,听it is vital that, alongside this,鈥痶he鈥疷K Government must do all it can to stop the import of eggs, liquid听eggs听and powdered eggs from caged systems鈥痠n use in other countries听to鈥痯revent welfare听problems听from being shifted elsewhere.听

In a听new听joint听policy position on听the housing听systems used for听laying hens, both听associations听also听recommend that any ban must be supported by a clearly staged and adequately funded transition period, aligned with developments in the EU, to听maintain听a level playing field听for producers.听听

趣夜app President Dr Rob Williams MRCVS said:听鈥淎lthough the majority of UK egg production is already cage-free,听many听members听of the听public听will be听shocked to learn that听there听are still a significant number of听laying hens spending their whole laying lives in听cages听with little opportunity to express natural听behaviours听or spread their wings.听With much of the UK already moving towards cage-free systems such as organic, barn housing or free-range,听we鈥檙e听calling for the听UK听Government to phase out cages entirely to help improve the welfare of hundreds of thousands of birds. However,听it must not be forgotten that these alternative systems听have their听own challenges which must also be addressed听to ensure听the continued听welfare听improvement for听our听nation鈥檚 laying hens.鈥澨�听

British Veterinary听Poultry Association听Junior Vice President Adrian听Knoetze听said: 鈥淭his 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听a听ban is reasonable. In addition,听it听emphasises听the risk that a ban on enriched听cages听in the UK could result in exporting welfare concerns abroad.鈥�听

Find out more and read our full position at:听www.bva.co.uk/housing-systems-for-laying-hens听听

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