Industry raises ‘serious concerns’ about proposal to improve welfare for laying hens and lambs

The UK government announced that laying hens and lambs will benefit from better animal welfare standards under a new detailed plan by the Animal Welfare Committee. 

All colony cage systems across the laying hen sector would be phased out by 2032, including for smaller producers.  

The government has also proposed that routine castration and tail docking should be minimised, and if used, it should be carried out with pain relief. The consultation also promotes new methods (clips) currently used in Scotland to be allowed without pain relief, which the government says have been shown to be less harmful to welfare. 

Another key proposal allows castration and tail docking only in lambs over 24 hours old to three months old by a suitably trained person, and by a veterinary surgeon only if the lamb is over three months of age. 

A spokesperson for DEFRA said: “With the UK’s leading retailers, from Sainsbury’s to Aldi, already committed to not selling eggs produced from cage systems and widespread public support – the move announced today is in line with widespread best practice and public opinion.” 

To improve welfare for lambs, farmers will be expected to take steps to minimise pain when castration and tail docking have to be carried out. This could include greater use of pain relief and consideration of alternative methods which farmers would get improved access to. 

Farming minister Dame Angela Eagle said: “We are committed to improving the lives of farm animals and to supporting farmers to produce food sustainably, profitably and to the high standards consumers expect. 

“British consumers want high animal welfare standards, and these measures reflect those values, creating healthier livestock and high-welfare food production.” 

‘UK farming exposed to unfair competition from overseas imports’

Nick Allen, chief executive at the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), said that the council has “serious concerns” about the government’s proposal to ban enriched cages for laying hens and rearing cages for pullets within just six years.   

“The proposal is likely to deliver little meaningful benefit for hens while undermining UK egg farmers and distorting the market,” Mr Allen added.  

He continued: “The government has not committed to equivalent bans on imported shell eggs, egg products and finished goods containing egg. This, once again, leaves UK farming exposed to unfair competition from imports and risks moving food production overseas. 

“We urge the government, if it wishes to ban enriched cages, to make a clear and unequivocal commitment to fair trade and support UK farmers. Products that would be illegal to produce in the UK must be illegal to import and sell here.”   

Mr Allen added that UK consumers can already make informed purchasing decisions, with egg production systems clearly marked on packs and the eggs. He said that the “real transparency gap” lies in egg products and the food service sector, where the origin and production type are often hidden from view.  

“Our research shows that consumers already feel misled by the use of imported eggs in products such as quiches and sandwiches, and this proposal risks exacerbating the problem.  

“By intervening through regulation, rather than allowing consumer choice to guide the market, sections of society may be forced to pay more for eggs or, in some cases, remove them from their shopping baskets altogether.   

“Eggs are an affordable, highly nutritious, and natural food, delivering considerable health benefits to consumers, and we do not believe that government policy should risk limiting access to them.”  

Mr Allen added that the BEIC will try to work constructively with the government to achieve the best possible outcome, one that protects the welfare of hens while ensuring UK consumers continue to have access to high-quality British eggs at a price they can afford, but the answer is not banning enriched cages.  

‘Industry needs time’ 

Responding to the changes announced by DEFRA, Michael Priestley, policy manager at the National Sheep Association (NSA), said it was vital that the industry did not inadvertently create further welfare issues.

“When talking about the UK lambing system, we are considering lambs seven days of age or under, and anaesthetising them for a rubber ring castration might create a point in which bacteria can enter the lamb and will cause joint problems or an infection. 

“Various farming organisations, including the NSA, will be trying to make a case that we need time, the industry needs time, the industry needs all the products available, and we probably need research into some of the other methods of tail docking and castration to really have the confidence that the industry will be able to adapt to higher welfare protocols.” 

‘UK already produces lamb to some of the highest standards in the world’

NFU livestock board chair David Barton said that the proposals will be of concern for sheep producers across the UK. “We carry out these essential management tasks for many reasons, to protect the welfare of the animal and to ensure we can continue to sell lamb throughout the year. 

“In a survey of our members two years ago, 87% of respondents said they use rubber rings to routinely castrate lambs and 93% to routinely tail dock lambs. 82% said the welfare of the lamb over its full lifetime would be negatively impacted if they could not castrate or tail dock. 

“The industry must have these tools available, and, while I’m open to the use of pain relief, we don’t currently have a licensed product for young lambs. Injecting young lambs risks introducing diseases and will be adding yet another task in sometimes difficult working environments.” 

Mr Barton said that the industry must also consider the added cost to the supply chain, making the UK less competitive when compared to those that import thousands of tonnes of lamb into the UK each year.  

“Our survey also found that 77% of respondents said if they could not castrate or tail dock lambs, it would lead to a reduction in business profitability. 91% said they would need to increase the segregation of stock, 89% said it would result in unwanted pregnancies, and 75% said it would increase management and labour costs.  

“97% said the impact of not tail docking lambs would lead to an increased risk of fly strike and would require greater use of preventative medication and dipping. 

“I’m proud that the UK already produces lamb to some of the highest standards in the world. This proposal, while well-meaning, could actually be detrimental to animal welfare, will reduce our ability to compete, damage confidence even further and impact potential for growth in a sector that has a strong future supplying quality lamb for the domestic and export market,” he concluded. 

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