THE LIFE OF LAYING HENS
Laying hens (picture 1) are reared to produce eggs. Egg production is one of the most intensive forms of farming, and laying hens can produce around 300 eggs each per year. Each hen is usually kept one year for the production of eggs.
There are different systems for keeping laying hens.
A welfare-friendly system is, in particular, when the hens are given the freedom and space to move around in a barn or chicken-house. "Free-range" hens (picture 2) can also go outdoors. These laying hens have perches, nests and litter areas in their houses to make them more comfortable.
Other laying hens are kept in what are called "enriched" cages. In these cages, there is space for the hen to move a bit, and some equipment, such as a nest, litter for scratching and perches.
Finally, there are the laying hens which are kept in "battery" cages (picture 3). These cages usually only provide a space the size of one sheet of A4 paper for each hen, and are equipped only with a feeder and a drinker. Hens naturally like to build and search for nests, and they prefer a quiet and dark place to lay their eggs. This is often not possible in battery cages, and as a result, the hens can become frustrated. Therefore, from the end of 2011, battery cages will no longer be used in the EU, because they are bad for animal welfare.
If a hen has nothing to peck at, it will often start pecking at the hen beside it, causing pain and injury to the other bird. To stop this, the owners of the laying hens often trim their beaks, a painful procedure. Better housing and care for hens would reduce this health and stressful problem.
The EU has rules to improve the wellbeing of laying hens. For example, hens must be kept in a certain amount of light and a certain amount of darkness every day, to give them the impression of day and night. Furthermore, the birds must have some opportunity to move and be provided with the minerals necessary to produce eggs and stay healthy.
You have learned a lot about the life of laying hens and you can now take care of them playing this game!
