Welfare campaigners renew call to ban caged hens

The organisation has released new footage, filmed on 10 colony units in France, Italy, Czech Republic and Cyprus, in which it claims the birds are still unable to perform their natural behaviours.

Feather pecking

Campaigns director Dil Peeling added that the enrichments were “little more than window dressing”, with barely enough space for birds to stretch their wings. Feather pecking was widespread and birds had their beaks severely trimmed.

“On some farms the perches, which are meant to simulate a tree branch for roosting, were barely a few centimetres off the ground. In other cases, if a hen was on a perch, she could not stand upright because the roof of the cage was so low.”

Legislation criticised

As well as perches, the organisation has criticised the legislation in relation to scratch areas. “The Directive does not set a minimum area per hen, so the areas of litter provided are quite minimal, or the material used is unsuitable for key behaviours such as dust bathing.”

It also claims some farmers circumvent the rule banning wire mesh floors in nest boxes by simply applying a plastic coating to wire.

CIWF is now launching a campaign, encouraging supporters to fill out an online form, which will trigger an automatic letter to their agriculture minister calling for enriched cages to be banned.

Source: Poultry World