RSPCA Assured has announced revisions to its new laying hen welfare standards following concern from the egg sector.
Key changes include removing the veranda requirement for free-range producers and adding a timeline extension for providing natural light.
The combination of both new standards will significantly improve bird welfare, the assurance body said.
However, following feedback from farmers, revisions have been made to support the sector with transitioning following concern over implementation.
The timeline for natural daylight has been extended by one year, which means producers have seven years to roll out the changes in their entirety.
RSPCA Assured first notified its members of the new standards in November 2023.
Dr Kate Norman, poultry specialist at the RSPCA, admitted that the changes would be 'challenging' for producers.
"They represent a very important step forward for hen welfare in the UK," she added.
“Natural daylight provides a number of important welfare benefits for laying hens such as helping to reduce stress, feather pecking and keel bone fractures.”
Helping to reduce feather pecking and keel bone fractures are two of the most challenging welfare issues for hens in egg production.
RSPCA Assured said natural daylight provides an appropriate visual environment for free-range birds when range access is restricted e.g. during a housing order.
What are the new revisions?
RSPCA Assured has announced revisions to the RSPCA’s new laying hen welfare standards following feedback from the industry:
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.
