Cage regulations
From Poultry Hub
In Australia there are regulations for poultry cages that need to be adhered to and some recent changes came into effect from 1st January 2008. They are based on the Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals – Domestic Poultry 4th Edition (2001) (2001 Code). Parts or all of the 2001 Code may be regulated in each State or Territory or else it is made a requirement that poultry farms comply with the 2001 Code.
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Future of poultry cages in Australia
At the Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand (ARMCANZ) meeting in 2000, the only states opting to abolish battery cages were Tasmania, Queensland and ACT while New South Wales and Victoria opposed it for economical reasons. Eventually, the Council didn’t decide to abolish battery cages but, on the contrary, guaranteed that battery cages may continue to be used for up to 20 years after their installation. The only change effective from 2008 was that very old batteries will have to be replaced and newly constructed batteries will have a slightly enlarged minimum area of 550 cm2 per hen.
Table 1 shows a summary of the most important parameters of the 2001 code for poultry cages in Australia. The poultry cage standards prior to 2001 are also shown as a comparison.
| Parameter | Min. requirements per bird
prior to 2001 | Min. requirements per bird
post 2001 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 or more fowls <2.4kg per cage | 450 cm2 | 550 cm2 |
| 3 or more fowls >2.4kg per cage | 600 cm2 | 600 cm2 |
| 2 fowls per cage | 675 cm2 | 675 cm2 |
| single cage | 1000 cm2 | 1000 cm2 |
| cage height | 40 cm over 65% of total cage
not <35 cm at any point | |
| water access | min. 2 independent drinking points | |
| feed trough per bird | 10 cm | min. 10 cm |
Regulations in Europe
In June 1999, the European Union (EU) announced a ground breaking decision to introduce legislation by 2002 to phase out conventional battery cages by 2012. From 2003, no further battery cages can be built, and all existing cages must be upgraded to provide an increase in space per hen from 450 cm2 to 550 cm2. Table 2 below summarizes the most important parameters for newly built poultry facilities in the EU. Given the total ban of 'conventional' poultry cages from 2012 onwards, many egg producers switch to barn or free-range egg production systems.
| Parameter | Min. requirements per bird |
|---|---|
| fowls <2kg | 750 cm2 |
| fowls >2kg | 900 cm2 |
| cage height | 45 cm
can be reduced to 20 cm over 150 cm2 |
| water access | 2 nipples or cups per cage
or continuous water channel |
| feed trough | min. 12 cm (up to 2kg)
min. 14.5 cm (over 2kg) |
Further information
- Blokhuis. H.J. (2004): Recent developments in European and international welfare regulations. World's Poultry Science Journal 60, 469-477.
- Studer, H.P. (2001): How Switzerland got rid of battery cages. United Poultry Concerns, Machipongo, Virginia, USA 23405.
