The government's proposals for a UK-wide ban on cages for laying hens, pullets and breeder layers would apply to all poultry producers, including those with fewer than 350 birds.
A phased approach has been put forward which would see an initial ban on installing any new enriched colony (or any other cage) systems for laying hens, pullets and breeder layers from 1 January 2027.
Have your say
“Colony cage eggs positively contribute to wider food security and environmental goals, which sadly do not appear to have been acknowledged sufficiently by the government.”
NFU Poultry Board Chair Will Raw
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Message from the Board Chair
Responding to the launch of the consultation, NFU Poultry Board Chair Will Raw said: “We have concerns about the unintended consequences of the outright banning of production systems like enriched colony cages which currently provide an affordable and nutritious source of protein to a growing population.
“Colony cage eggs positively contribute to wider food security and environmental goals, which sadly do not appear to have been acknowledged sufficiently by the government.
“Method of production on its own is not necessarily an indication of welfare and a ban on colony cages for laying hens would simply increase the imports of eggs, some of which are produced to standards already illegal here, such as eggs produced by hens kept in old-style battery cages which remain in use in some countries outside the UK.
“There are also significant barriers that need to be unlocked by the government in tandem with the animal welfare strategy, such as the planning system which is currently prohibitive to sector growth - growth that is imperative to meeting increasing consumer demand for British eggs.”