The egg industry has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing bone breakages in laying hens, following the publication of a report on osteoporosis and bone fractures by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC).
FAWC's report, entitled ’Opinion on Osteoporosis and Bone Fractures in Laying Hens’, has been produced to advise the Government about the extent of bone fractures experienced by laying hens in all production systems. The council’s chairman, Prof. Christopher Wathes, says the problem has been getting worse rather than better. "Research has shown for some time that the incidence of bone damage in laying hens is high and more recent work indicates that rather than improving over time the situation may be getting worse. Bone fractures experienced either during lay or at depopulation have a serious impact on the welfare of the birds affected," he said.
Prof. Wathes said there were a number of causes of fractures. They included osteoporosis in the hen, as well as injuries occurring as a result of poor design and management of housing systems. He said improvements could be made through targeted nutrition, selection of birds for improved bone quality and housing systems that enabled birds to exercise and improve bone strength without injury. The FAWC report said that whilst 30 per cent of mortality in cage systems was linked to osteoporosis, the figure was much lower in non-cage systems.
One of the more controversial aspects of the report touches on the way birds are handled during depopulation. FAWC says that the price for end-of-lay hens is low, mainly because the meat has little value. "If the price were higher, more attention may be given to preventing injury in such animals, with corresponding benefits for their welfare," says the report. Prof Wathes says that careful and considerate handling of birds or killing end-of-lay hens in their housing could reduce bone fractures during depopulation.
Both the British Free Range Egg Producers Association and the British Egg Industry Council have rejected any suggestion that the price of end-of-lay hens has any effect on the way birds are handled during depopulation.
BFREPA chairman John Retson said, "The care and handling of hens is of paramount importance to egg producers, regardless of the economics of the job, and BFREPA do not agree with FAWC when it says the price received for end-of-lay hens affects the handling of birds. BFREPA members treat their hens with respect and expect all others, including contracted catchers, to do the same."
The BEIC was equally strong in rejecting this section of the FAWC report. "The price a producer receives for end-of-lay hens in no way influences how hens are treated. Producers care how they handle their hens and treat them with great respect," said chief executive Mark Williams.
Another contentious issue covered by the report is that of raised perches. Rules on perches under European Union legislation are currently interpreted in different ways in different parts of Britain. Whilst in England and Wales farmers have been advised by Government that floor slats can be classed as perches, in Scotland egg producers have been told that only separate raised perches are permissible. Research indicates that raised perches could be responsible for many bone fractures in free range hens – evidence that FAWC refers to in its report to Government.
Provision of raised perches in non-cage systems sometimes increases the prevalence of fractures, particularly of the keel bone," says the report. However, FAWC says that perches provide other welfare benefits and that the design and layout of perches could be improved to prevent bone fracture. "If this is achieved, the different interpretations of the relevant European directive within Great Britain could be eliminated, favouring provision of aerial perches," it says.
John Retson has appealed for caution on this issue. He said: "BFREPA members have experienced benefits and disbenefits of providing aerial perches for their birds and would caution against a recommendation for aerial perches for all hens at this time. Much more research is needed into the design and positioning for aerial perches so as to avoid causing birds more injury, as would be suggested by the most recent research results from the University of Bristol, which concluded that a contributing factor to keel bone fractures was the provision of perches."
Mark Williams said there were conflicting research results on the benefits of installing aerial perches in non-cage systems of production. BEIC believed that until further research was conducted in this area it was premature to recommend aerial perches for all hens.
FAWC listed a series of recommendations for Government. Prof. Wathes said, "The council would ideally like to see bone damage in live birds eliminated entirely and to that end the egg industry and the government should be working towards a strategy of time-related reduction in bone fractures both during lay and at depopulation. "FAWC said the first target could be based on what was currently achieved by the top 10 per cent of producers. "As that information is not currently available, we suggest for illustration a possible interim target of less than 20 per cent during lay and five per cent at depopulation within five years of the publication of this opinion," says the report.
FAWC says the industry should carry out surveillance in collaboration with Government to establish trends in the prevalence of bone fractures and identify the efficacy of various preventative measures.
It says the design and management of systems to reduce and if possible prevent bone fractures should be given high priority and that retailers should pay attention to reduction of fractures in hens in other countries supplying eggs and egg products.
Mechanisms should be developed to raise incentives for farmers and handlers for a low prevalence of bone fractures and other injuries in hens, coupled with penalties for a high prevalence, says the report.
It calls for the minimisation of osteoporosis in laying hens through breeding and says this may require Government activity at international level as the major breeders are based abroad. The results of nutritional research should be applied by the egg industry to improve diets during rearing and lay, and feeding methods should be developed by the industry to allow calcium to be fed in large particles within balanced diets, it says.
FAWC also calls for research and development into the welfare significance of different fractures and of keel bone deformation; preventative husbandry measures; detection of fractures in hens on farms and at the abattoir; practical methods for on-farm killing of end-of-lay hens; and handling of end-of-lay hens during depopulation.
The council says the Government and devolved administrations should discuss with European authorities the need for a permitted description of meat from end-of-lay hens that is attractive to consumers. It says this would increase the value of the birds and promote better care.
John Retson said that, along with the rest of the egg industry, BFREPA was aware that laying hens were suseptible to bone fracture and the association proactively supported and published to its membership progress through genetics, nutrition and egg laying house design to reduce the incidence wherever possible.
"Free range egg production systems do allow hens to benefit from bone strengthening activities such as walking, hopping, wing flapping and general exercise, but the role of good husbandry and management systems to minimise the risk of injury is not underestimated or ignored by BFREPA members," said John
He said that BFREPA would be happy to continue collaboration with Government and the devolved administrations to find innovative ways to minimise osteoporosis and to ensure egg laying house design and bird management mitigated against accidental damage to the hen.
The BEIC said that it was committed to continue working with nutritionists, breeders and designers of egg laying houses to reduce the level of bone damage in laying hens and to meet the recommendations of FAWC. It said the industry believed the introduction of enriched colony cages in January 2012 would significantly reduce the number of fractures.
