UK Veterinarians Calling For An End To Enriched Cages For Laying Hens

The debate around animal welfare in egg production has returned to the spotlight as the British Veterinary Association (BVA), alongside the British Veterinary Poultry Association (BVPA), calls for the phase-out of enriched cages for laying hens across the UK.

While traditional “battery cages” were banned years ago, many consumers are unaware that hundreds of thousands of hens are still housed in so-called enriched cages. These systems are designed to improve on older battery cages by including perches, nesting areas, and scratching spaces. However, each bird is still allocated only slightly more room than the size of an A4 sheet of paper, severely limiting movement and natural behaviour.

The UK egg industry is enormous, producing an estimated 12.5 billion eggs each year from a national flock of more than 40 million laying hens. Although most egg production has already shifted toward cage-free systems such as free-range, barn, and organic farming, enriched cages remain legal and continue to be used on some farms.

Veterinary professionals say this is no longer acceptable from an animal welfare perspective.

Recent findings from the BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey revealed that more than 85% of veterinarians are concerned about the continued use of cages for laying hens. The primary issue highlighted by vets is that these environments restrict hens from expressing natural behaviours such as wing-flapping, dust bathing, perching freely, and foraging.

After reviewing current housing systems through an animal welfare lens, the BVA and BVPA concluded that enriched cages fail to provide welfare standards comparable to cage-free alternatives. Although the systems may meet certain basic needs, the associations argue that they still result in significantly poorer welfare outcomes than non-caged housing systems.

As a result, both organisations are urging the UK Government to commit to a full phase-out of enriched cages.

However, the veterinary groups also stress that any transition away from cages must be carefully managed. They are calling for a staged and adequately funded transition period that supports farmers and aligns with similar developments across the European Union. Without this support, producers could face economic disadvantages compared to international competitors.

Another major concern involves imports. The associations warn that banning enriched cages in the UK alone could unintentionally shift welfare problems overseas if eggs, liquid eggs, or powdered egg products continue to be imported from countries still using caged systems. To avoid this, they are encouraging the government to introduce measures preventing lower-welfare imports from undermining UK standards.

Dr. Rob Williams, President of the BVA, noted that many consumers would be surprised to learn that some hens still spend their entire laying lives in cages with limited ability to move naturally. He added that while cage-free systems represent progress, they also come with their own welfare challenges that must continue to be addressed.

Meanwhile, Adrian Knoetze emphasised that veterinarians and farmers are continually working to improve hen welfare regardless of housing type, but acknowledged that the industry’s broader shift toward cage-free production makes a ban on enriched cages a reasonable next step.

As consumer awareness grows and demand for higher welfare products increases, the future of egg production in the UK appears increasingly likely to move toward fully cage-free farming.

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