Hen cages and pig farrowing crates to be outlawed in England | Animal welfare

Caged chickens will be a thing of the past in England, the Government has announced, as it launches a raft of new animal welfare laws.

Pig farrowing cages, which campaigners say are cruel, will also be banned under welfare changes. These cramped cages are used to prevent pigs from rolling over and crushing their young, but once inside, the sows cannot turn or move around.

While conventional battery cages were banned in 2012, this sparked the rise of “colony cages”. Battery cages kept each bird in a small wire cage, with thousands of these cages stacked side by side in a shed. Larger cages that can hold a colony of chickens, called colony cages, have been permitted.

Today, around 21% of chickens in the UK are raised in enriched cages or colonies. These can accommodate up to 90 hens and have perches, scratching mats and nest boxes, but usually only provide a small space – the size of a sheet of A4 paper – for each bird.

Birds do not leave the cages all their lives, until they are sent to the slaughterhouse. This does not meet their welfare needs: chickens like to bathe in dust to keep their feathers clean, scratch and peck the ground, perch on branches, jump and fly.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds is due to announce on Monday that her department will consult on phasing out remaining enriched colony cages and transitioning to cage-free systems next year.

Anthony Field, head of campaign group Compassion in World Farming UK, described the move as “a historic step in protecting farmed animals across Britain”. He added: “By committing to phasing out cages for laying hens and farrowing cages for pigs, more than 7 million chickens and 150,000 pigs will benefit each year. »

The changes also include an end to puppy farming, the commercial mass breeding of dogs that are often kept in cramped and dirty conditions, without access to proper veterinary care. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will also consult on banning electric collars for dogs.

The Guardian revealed on Saturday that the strategy also included a ban on shooting hares for most of the year, during their breeding season, as well as an end to trail hunting. The Government will also consult on banning snare traps because they cause animal suffering and can catch pets.

The new laws also include humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish to spare them avoidable suffering.

Reynolds said: “We are a nation of animal lovers. This Government is implementing the most ambitious animal welfare strategy in a generation. Our strategy will raise standards of animal welfare at home, on farms and in the wild. We have already acted to improve zoo standards, end puppy smuggling and protect livestock from dog attacks. Now we plan to ban caged chickens, cruel snares, hunting on trails and curb the breeding of low welfare dogs.”