Organic sector cries fowl on new battery egg rules

Do the new rules on battery cages for laying hens lessen the animal welfare case for organic eggs? In 2008 in Ireland, 62.4% of hens were caged, 1% were housed in barns, and 36.6% were free range, according to the International Egg Market Annual Review.

Over one third free range is a very significant number, and a sign of a gradual move towards higher welfare standards for laying hens.

Under the new EU directive, egg producers must use the larger, modified ‘enriched’ cages equipped with perches and litter, the aim being to allow hens room to roost, nest and scratch.

Austria and Belgium had already banned battery cages, and plan to ban the new enriched cages by 2020 and 2024 respectively. Sweden, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands had already banned the battery cage ahead of 2012.

The new rules state that from January 1, 2012, conventional layer cages must be replaced by enriched cages or by alternative, less intensive production systems, such as barn and free-range. Under the EU directive, enriched cages must be at least 45cm high and must provide each hen with at least 750cm² of space, of which 600cm² must be “usable area”; the other 150cm² is for a nest-box. The rules also state the cage must contain litter, perches and “claw-shortening devices”.

I spoke to Grace Maher, development officer with the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association, about the new rules for laying hens. “While stricter regulations for caged poultry are welcome in the interest of animal welfare, there is still no comparison between caged production and natural free range production,” said Maher.

“We in the organic sector believe that poultry should be free range, not caged. In an organic system, poultry have free range of organically managed land, and they are fed an organic diet, free from GM.”

She went into more detail: “Most birds in ‘enriched’ cages will still spend a significant proportion of their time standing on sloping wire mesh floors at an angle of 12 degrees, with little room to move around.

“They will all still be denied fresh air and sunshine, they will still not have enough room to flap their wings. There is only one nest box per cage, and minimal material to nest in, which will lead to aggressive behaviour by some hens as they fight over their new ‘facilities’.

“Under the organic standards, hens are not allowed to be kept in cages. They must be free range and must be kept outdoors for at least a third of their lives, with each hen having an area of at least 4m². Birds must have access to indoors, due to predators and weather conditions. The indoor facilities for hens must provide 1,666cm², with a 8cm perch per bird, and 120cm² nest area per bird.

“Organic poultry producers in Ireland are relatively small producers. Due to a shortage of organic tillage in Ireland, there is a high cost for supplying an organic diet, including rations to poultry. While organic eggs are considerably more expensive than intensive cage produced eggs, once consumers taste the eggs, many they are happy to pay that price, due to the quality and taste, and also to ensure the welfare of the animals is maintained.

“There are many small egg producers who have a steady supply, and who cannot meet the demand for their product so price does not appear to be a deterrent for consumers.”

There are also broader issues, says Maher. “With the introduction of this new legislation we also need to ensure that imported eggs — and products containing eggs such as egg mayonnaise, quiches and so on — are from countries which are compliant with the ban. It [the implementation of the EU directive by operators] has been a costly exercise and many Irish producers have had to invest heavily to meet their legal obligations and improve animal welfare.”