Why battery cages should be banned?
Battery cages cause a wide array of debilitating physical conditions for chickens. The wire mesh floors of battery cages can cause a host of foot disorders, including toe pad hyperkeratosis, which develops due to pressure on certain areas of the feet thanks to the sloping floors of cages.
Which countries have banned battery cages?
Battery cages have been banned in a number of countries including Switzerland, Austria and Sweden. They are being phased out in New Zealand and in a number of states in the USA, including California and Michigan.
Are battery cages banned in US?
United States 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.
When did battery cages get banned?
1 January 2012
An EU ban on battery cages comes in to effect on 1 January 2012, from when egg producers are required to provide hens with larger and more comfortable cages, which include nesting and scratching areas that allow more natural behaviour.
Are cage-free eggs humane?
Cage-free egg production, while not perfect, does not entail such inherent animal welfare disadvantages and is a very good step in the right direction for the egg industry.” Cage-free hens are spared several severe cruelties that are inherent to battery cage systems.
Are battery hens illegal?
The European Union announced the ban on battery hens in 1999. Peter Stevenson, Compassion in World Farming’s chief policy adviser, said he was “very disappointed” that British egg producers were still using illegal cages even though they were given years to phase them out.
Are chickens raised in cages?
The vast majority of egg-laying hens in the United States are confined in battery cages. On average, each caged laying hen is afforded only 67 square inches of cage space—less space than a single sheet of letter-sized paper on which to live her entire life.
Are pig cages used in the US?
There were 5.36 million breeding sows in the United States as of 2016, out of a total of 50.1 million pigs. Most pregnant sows in the US are kept in gestation crates. The crates are banned for new installations only in Canada, so many sows are still confined in Canadian pig breeding facilities.
What states ban caged eggs?
Nevada is the ninth U.S. state to ban cages for egg-laying hens, following Utah, Colorado, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, California, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Are caged eggs banned in UK?
The UK banned the use of battery cages for hens in 2012, but the ban did not extend to so-called enriched cages. Those cages are larger than conventional battery cages but still do not allow adequate space for the hens’ natural behaviours.
Are battery cages legal in Australia?
For the first time, Australia is now on the brink of banning battery cages, acknowledging the significant and inherent risks they pose to the health and welfare of hens. Read more below about the issues with all systems of egg production, and how you can help achieve an end to the use of battery cages in Australia.