Q&A

Q: Some animal welfare groups say that there is strong scientific evidence that hens suffer terribly in cages—is this true?
A: No. The weight of scientific evidence shows that cages systems provide many welfare benefits to hens compared to other methods, including reduced cannibalism, better disease control and lower overall mortalities.

Q: Is there a way to make free range farming safer against predators and the weather?
A: Good animal husbandry practices by free range farmers, including fencing and the use of dogs, can help reduce deaths by predators.

Q: Is it safe to eat eggs produced by hens in cages?
A: There is no evidence to suggest that eggs are of more or less nutritional value under each production system.

Q: Is it true that some hens die when there beaks are trimmed?
A: No. Beak trimming is conducted by trained workers to reduce injury and death to other birds through social interaction. This technique is commonly used across all three production systems.

Q: Isn’t it cruel to force hens to moult?
A: Moulting is a natural process where hens shed and renew their feathers resulting in increased egg production. To induce moulting, the make up of the hen’s diet and artificial lighting may be altered for a 2-4 week period. Moulting occurs across all three production systems.

Q: Is it true that farmers use lighting techniques to make hens lay more eggs?
A: Yes. Hens naturally produce more eggs during the spring and summer as the number of daylight hours increases. Farmers using cage or barn systems may use lights to artificially extend daylight up to 16 hours - a normal summer’s day.

Q: Cages don’t allow hens to exercise or use behaviour they do in the wild, how can this be best welfare practice?
A: Caged systems actually prevent much destructive behaviour, such as pecking and cannibalism. There is no evidence to suggest that the well being of hens suffers in well-maintained cage systems.

Q: The European Union has now banned the cage system, if they can do it, why can’t Australian farmers?
A: A few countries in Europe have passed regulations forcing the introduction of furnished hen cages. No countries have completely banned cage egg production.

Q: Is it true that the hatchery industry discards unwanted male chicks by placing them in plastic bags before being gassed or put through a macerator?
A: No. The hatcheries must comply with strict animal welfare regulations pertaining humane slaughter. Unfortunately, male chickens bred for egg laying can not be used in the meat industry and the majority are humanely destroyed as day-old chicks using carbon dioxide.