RSPCA Assured has paused the roll out of its new welfare standards for laying hens for three months in response to concerns raised by farmers.
The news, announced today (15 March), means farmers can continue to use the current version of the standards, published in 2017, until August 2024.
Egg producers had raised concern over implementation of the RSPCA's new, tougher welfare standards.
In response, it announced amendments earlier this year, including extending the timeline for natural daylight by one year to 1 January 2031.
The body also removed the veranda requirement for refurbished and new member free-range systems.
But now the standards have been put on hold, with RSPCA Assured saying it "recognises the importance of taking the appropriate time to listen to our members".
Kelly Grellier, interim chief operations officer, said: “We firmly believe the new RSPCA welfare standards for laying hens will help deliver significant improvements to the lives of hens."
During the three-month pause, RSPCA Assured said it would work collaboratively with members and the wider industry to find practical solutions to the concerns they’ve raised.
The assurance body added that it would also share case studies from UK farms to provide guidance and real-life examples of how the standards could be applied and met.
However, Ms Grellier confirmed that the standards would not be undergoing any further amendments.
She said: “This additional grace period will allow us time to fully honour the commitments we made to our members and the wider industry during our meeting on 22 January - and find a way to move forward positively and together.”
The pause follows RSPCA Assured’s announcement earlier this year that it would be making amendments to the scope and timing of the standards in response to farmer concern.
Amendments included pushing back the timeline for natural daylight to 1 January 2031, and removing the veranda requirement for refurbished and new member free-range systems.
Whilst verandas were never required for existing free-range members, the RSPCA said it would be conducting a review into the practicalities of achieving this in the future.
What are the new standards?
RSPCA Assured's new laying hen welfare standards, which were revised earlier this year, include the following:
Veranda requirements
• No free-range members are required to install verandas.
• The requirement for new free-range members or existing members carrying out a major refurbishment to install a veranda, originally announced in November, has been removed.
• The RSPCA and RSPCA Assured will jointly engage with industry to conduct an in-depth review of installing verandas on free-range systems.
• Verandas must be installed on all barn buildings by no later than 1 January 2030.
• The requirement for newly approved buildings and refurbished buildings to install verandas from 1 May 2024 has been removed, this provides additional time for both existing and new barn members to install verandas.
Natural daylight requirement
• Additional natural daylight within the main laying house, corresponding to at least 3% of the total floor area, must be provided in all free-range systems by no later than 1 January 2031.
• Popholes can be counted towards the natural daylight allowance. Many free-range producers will already be providing approximately half of the natural daylight requirement through existing popholes.
• Newly approved buildings and refurbished buildings are no longer required to install windows from May 2024.
• Natural daylight within the main laying house, corresponding to at least 3% of the total floor area, must be provided in all barn systems by no later than 1 January 2031.
• Newly approved buildings and refurbished buildings are no longer required to install windows from May 2024.
