Battery hen farming defended in Australia
It has been reported that the Australian Egg Corporation has rejected calls for battery hen farming to be banned.
ABC News reported that the calls were made follow a release of footage of dead and dying hens allegedly taken by animal activists inside poultry Pitt Poultry sheds in southern Tasmania.
The RSPCA and the Greens are aiming for intensive hen farming to be banned on a national level. Primary Industries Minister, David Llewellyn, says he, too, is working to end the practice.
The production of eggs using battery cages has, however, been defended by the Egg Corporation’s MD, James Kellaway. “I don’t see why we should try and ban a production system that delivers animal welfare benefits,” he said. “At the end of the day there is no perfect egg production system,” he added.
Meanwhile, Llewellyn says he will investigate allegations of breaches of animal health and welfare regulations at Pitt Poultry. He adds that the disturbing footage is at odds with recent official inspections of the farm, and stressed that he is working to bring an end to battery hen farming in Australia.
Related link:
Join 31,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the poultry sector, three times a week.
