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Livestock Welfare INSIGHTS Issue 1 - Jun 00

CAGES AND STAGES

CONVENTIONAL CAGES MAKE WAY FOR ENRICHED CAGE SYSTEMS

Reports that battery cages for spent laying hens are to be banned in Europe are not accurate. European Agriculture Ministers have agreed to ban the keeping of laying hens in barren battery cages after 2012. However, enriched battery cage systems will be acceptable. Concessions have been made to ease this transitional period.

The European Union has acknowledged that, while there is evidence that battery cages result in poor hen welfare, alternative housing systems have not yet been perfected. They decided it is "'too early' to ban battery cages, but that the minimum space per laying hen should be enlarged, and their cages 'enriched' to improve their welfare." As a result, Sweden has now rescinded its ban of cages to allow for new enriched cages.

Details of European Council Directive 1999/74/EC (www.europa.eu.int) include:

• From January 1, 2003, all unenriched cage systems must allow at least 550 cm² per hen of cage area, contain suitable claw shortening devices, and feed troughs allowing 10 cm of space per bird;
• From January 1, 2012 unenriched cage systems are prohibited;
• After January 1, 2012, all cage systems must have at least 750 cm² cage area per hen, a nest, litter for pecking and scratching, perches, feed troughs, drinking systems, claw shortening devices, aisle width between tiers of cages appropriate for inspection, installation and depopulation of hens;
• By January 1,2005 the EU will complete a review on the systems of rearing laying hens considering animal health and welfare, environmental impacts and socio-economic implications, to develop future reforms.

The Future of enriched cage systems in Canada

Specht Poultry Equipment of Canada, near Stony Plain, Alberta, is promoting enriched cage systems at trade shows. Martin Kanehl, Canada’s distributor for Specht (a European company), foresees that enriched cages for layers will eventually come to Canada, but it will take time. Currently there are no commercial layer facilities in Canada using enriched cages, but three parent stock producers in Canada are implementing Specht's enriched cage systems that include perches and nesting areas. One Manitoba producer is installing enriched cages by June 2000.

Specht enriched cage. Note there are no dividers. Note perch (brown bar) and nest box.

It is difficult to design an enriched cage system that provides enough space per bird while accommodating perches, dust baths and nesting boxes. These items take up valuable space and cannot be tiered due to hygiene concerns. Also, the dust bath sand in enriched battery cages presently leads to equipment breakdown. The solution for Specht has been to keep more birds in a larger enriched cage. Dust baths are not included. At 48 birds per cage, the cage still allows producers to adhere to the code of practice which recommends 410cm² (64in²) of floor space per bird and 10cm of feed trough length per bird. However, beak trimming is necessary to prevent cannibalism in larger groups.

Dr. Michael Appleby, developer of the Edinburgh enriched cage, spoke recently in Alberta. He said this cage promotes small group size to avoid cannibalism, and hence reduces/eliminates the need for beak trimming. If group sizes are kept at 5-8 birds, beak trimming is not necessary according to Dr. Appleby. It remains to be seen how well the Edinburgh enriched cage will work for commercial applications, he said.

Close up of nest box with front open.

Manfred Kanehl, of Holburn Poultry Farms and Specht Canada, believes that enriched cages provide part of the answer to laying hen welfare concerns, but there are other considerations. Today high producing layers tend to have nervous personalities, contributing to cannibalistic behaviour. Breeding for a calmer bird could reduce cannibalism and allow larger numbers within an enriched cage system.

Having raised poultry for over forty years, Mr. Kanehl remembers a time when beak trimming was uncommon, even in larger populations of birds. How productive a calmer bird would be is the question producers may ask.