The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies says a new code of practice for egg farmers will help reduce the extreme stress suffered by egg-laying hens and give consumers some assurance about the term “cage-free.”
The National Farm Animal Care Council code released March 27 calls for producers to phase out the use of small, cramped cages for hens over the next 15 years and sets new care standards for the birds.
Ninety percent of egg-laying hens live in cramped cages, but the code will help egg farmers make the transition to more humane practices, federation president Barbara Cartwright said.
“The phase-out of barren battery cages is a huge win for Canada’s hens,” she said. “The timeline is much longer than we consider acceptable, but it doesn’t diminish how meaningful a change this is.”
Battery cages are so small that hens can’t walk or spread their wings for their entire lives. No more of these cages are to be built in Canada as of March 25.
