We explain what battery cages are, and what they mean for the hens confined inside them.
You’ve probably heard the term ‘layer hen,’ but do you know about battery hens? The term ‘battery’ refers to the housing system in which hens farmed for eggs spend their entire lives in battery cages.
While the UK banned battery cages in 2012, millions of British hens still live in enclosures known as enriched cages, which are widely considered by animal advocates only slightly better than traditional battery cages.
Why were battery cages introduced?
Battery cages gained popularity during the 1930s, as they allowed workers to do their jobs more quickly and efficiently, while also requiring less land. Battery-caged hens were also no longer standing in their own waste, reducing the risk of some diseases.
Are battery hens illegal?
Traditional battery cages are banned in the UK and EU, but egg products from producers that continue to use them can - and are - still imported.
In the UK and EU, egg producers have instead switched to enriched cages, which provide only minimally better welfare, while still restricting the birds from expressing many of their natural behaviours. Traditional battery cages remain widely used in many parts of the world.
Why are battery cages bad?
Traditional battery cages are also aptly called ‘barren cages’ due to the harsh and confined living conditions, typically providing less than a A4 sheet of paper’s worth of space per chicken. Battery cages also lack enrichment, and as a result, the birds - caged for around a year before being slaughtered - become bored and stressed, leading to bullying, pecking, or plucking feathers.
Like barren cages, enriched cages also typically provide only minimal space per bird. As far as enrichment goes, they offer up a perch, material for pecking and scratching, and a nesting area.
What breed are battery hens?
Hens on modern egg farms have been specifically bred to maximise egg laying in a relatively short period of time. A handful of companies are specifically responsible for creating/breeding the most popular types of layer hens.
Lohmann
There are several different types of Lohmann chickens, all owned by the company of the same name. As is the case with most layer chickens, they are named after colours, such as Lohmann Pink and Lohmann Brown.
Bovan
A genetic line of birds owned by Hendrix Genetics, Bovans Brown lay dark brown eggs.
Hyline
Hy-line is a company that owns several different lines of hens, such as Hy-Line W-36 and Hy-Line W-80. The company markets W-36 birds as ‘the world’s most efficient egg layer with excellent livability...making her the industry’s lowest cost producer of eggs’.
ISA Brown
Named after the company that owns their genetic line, ISA Browns can lay up to 500 eggs in their short lifetime.
Novogen
Novogen owns the genetic line of Novogen Browns, and boasts the birds are easy to manage due to their calm demeanour.
Dekalb
There are two lines of Dekalb chickens: Dekalb White and Dekalb Brown. The company claims the birds are ‘a great fit for the modern egg producer’.
H&N
H&N offers different types of laying hens: brown, tinted, and white.
What happens to battery hens when they stop laying?
In the UK, the average layer hen lays about 300 eggs per year, or a little less than one per day. Once no longer able to lay enough eggs to be considered productive, laying hens are then labelled ‘spent’, and are sent to slaughter.
Do the RSPCA’s standards make a difference to laying hens?
Welfare certifications can be helpful gauges for consumers. Certified farms adhering to RSPCA Assured guidelines are given more space and amenities - such as dust baths - that are not required by the law.
However, the guidelines are no assurance of humane treatment; an investigation uncovered the mistreatment of hens by a certified company.
Are cage-free chickens really cage-free?
There are three major types of cage-free hens: barn, free-range, and organic. Whereas none of them spend their time in cages, organic provides the most space to roam both inside a barn and outdoors. In the UK, chickens who lay organic eggs are also not beak-trimmed as a matter of standard practice.
Free-range chickens are provided with a small outdoor space, but the space is tighter than organic systems. Finally, cage-free housing, while a significant improvement over battery or enriched cages, does not provide any outdoor access.
Are hens still kept in battery cages?
All over the world, millions of hens spend their lives in battery cages. Though battery cages are banned in the UK, not all alternatives are created equal.
Colony or enriched battery cages
Enriched battery cages, or colony cages, offer only a nominal improvement over barren cages, as they are slightly larger and provide material for scratching, a perch, and a nesting area.
What are the common health issues in battery hens?
The average barn on an egg farm houses thousands of birds. That number of animals in such a small space, combined with the demand being placed on their bodies to lay so many eggs, leads to several health issues.
Stress
Not least among layer hen health problems is stress. Stress can lead to behaviours such as pecking and cannibalism. Birds kept in cages, especially barren battery cages, experience greater stress than those in alternative housing systems. Research also shows that birds kept in cages have fewer feathers than those in alternative housing systems that provide them with more space.
Mobility issues and osteoporosis
Hens in cages can’t move around freely, which negatively impacts their bone health. Given the demand that laying so many eggs places on their bodies, caged hens are likely to develop fractures or other bone health issues, including osteoporosis, as a result of their living conditions. Further, calcium that would normally go to strengthen hens’ bones is instead redirected to create the shell of her eggs, resulting in a weak skeleton.
Overgrown beaks
Beak-trimming is a common practice on many egg farms which can lead to abnormal beak growth. Some birds may have either the upper or lower beak grow out more quickly than the other half, which can make it difficult to eat or drink.
Respiratory infections
Respiratory infections can occur in birds kept in any housing system, due to an abundance of dust and other particulate matter in the air. Hens kept in free-range style housing tend to have higher rates of these infections due to the litter containing more ammonia.
What can you do to help improve hen welfare?
One of the best ways to make a difference to hens is to simply stop eating their eggs. If you aren't ready to give up eggs, labels such as organic and certifications like RSPCA Assured are a better bet.
We believe that no animal should be confined to a cage so we’re working hard to end cages for laying hens, alongside organisations all around the world.
Want to make a difference for animals? Join thousands of others and start by signing the petition below, it'll only take a moment.