What is the size of a battery cage?

Cages are generally around 40cm high but can be wide enough to house many hens. It’s a common misconception that each battery cage only houses one single hen; in fact, usually between 4 and 9 hens are crowded into each cage.

What are enriched cages?

Enriched cages are similar to conventional battery cages, stacked on top of one another in row upon row, but they also provide limited facilities for nesting, perching and scratching. There are various designs of enriched cages, including colony cages that can house up to 60 or more hens.

When were battery cages banned?

January 1st 2012
All 60 to 80 hens must compete for access to these small areas. On January 1st 2012, the conventional battery cage ban came into effect. Instead of more than 17 million hens being freed from cages, egg farmers simply moved them from one type of cage to another.

Why battery cages are cruel?

Battery cages cause physical pain, injury and death. Hens in battery cages suffer from brittle bones and bone fractures, as well as feather loss and foot problems due to the restrictive environment and wire floors.

When did battery farming become illegal?

The government – which has strongly criticised other countries for breaking the deadline – says it’s disappointed that about 30 farms still use cages. But it is confident the new rules will be fully enforced by early February. The European Union announced the ban on battery hens in 1999.

What are some benefits of enriched or furnished cages compared to the barren battery cages?

The similar reason could be presented in the current study because the furnished cages, compared with the battery cages, provide more facilities for the hens to use. The greater BW in the hens from furnished cages may be associated with increased bone density due to perch utilization in the furnished cages.

Are battery cages cruel?

“The battery cage system is inherently cruel and it’s one of the cruelest systems we have in animal agriculture today,” said Nathan Runkle of Mercy for Animals, who estimated that 95 percent of the hens used in egg production are kept in battery cages.

Are battery cages illegal?

US States with bans on battery cages for laying hens As of March 2020, California, Massachusetts, Washington, Michigan, Ohio, and Rhode Island had passed laws banning the use of battery cages, and the former three additionally banned the sale of eggs produced in battery cages.

How many birds are in an enriched cage?

‘Enriched’ because the cage includes features such as a scratch area, perch and nest box; ‘colony’ because the number of birds kept in these significantly larger cages are typically up to 80. Depending on the size of the unit there are typically between 40 and 80 birds in each colony.

Is the enriched cage allowed in the EU?

Currently, enriched cages are the only caging systems allowed in the European Union as of January 1, 2012. The European Union Council stated “ [i]t is clear that because of its small size and its barrenness, the battery cage as used at present has inherent severe disadvantages for the welfare of hens.”

When was battery cages banned in the UK?

In January 2012 battery cages were banned in the UK. There are now only three higher welfare methods of egg production in the UK: free range, barn and enriched colony cage. The enriched colony was developed to meet an EU directive that came into law in 1999 and replaced all battery cages from January 2012.

What are the benefits of enriched colony cages?

Essentially, lower stress burden on the bird manifesting in better outputs throughout life. Egg producers in the UK have invested nearly £400 million replacing battery cages with the new enriched cages;