Animal welfare group faults battery cage poultry rearing system

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What you need to know:

  • Anaw says the cages come with both pros and cons, and the disadvantage are oppressive to the birds.
  • Some of the advantages of this modern system include high egg production and quality meat.
  • The report indicates that there lacks adequate laws and policies to govern the poultry sector. 
  • Dr Bahati calls for intensive sensitisation among poultry keepers on the need to mind the welfare of their birds.

An animal welfare lobby group is strongly opposing the battery cage poultry rearing system, saying it denies the birds their rights to movement and exposes them to high stress levels.

Africa Network for Animal Welfare (Anaw) says though the cages are fast gaining popularity in Kenya and Africa in general, they come with both pros and cons, and the disadvantage are oppressive to the birds.

As much as the system is especially suitable for farmers with little space, the cages come as a ‘”punishment” for birds, compromising their physical and psychological health, the lobby group insists.

Anaw says the cages come as a ‘”punishment” for birds, compromising their physical and psychological health. PHOTO | RACHEL KIBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Limited movement

“The cages offer limited movement for birds, hindering them from expressing normal behaviour,” says Dr Dennis Bahati, the animal welfare programme’s manager at Anaw.

Some birds, he adds, end up shedding feathers as they rub themselves on the wires around the cages, in quest to move around.

Lack of exercising, he adds, also weakens the bird’s bones, causing them to break easily.

Weak bones

“Lack of exercise, coupled by high demand for calcium to lay eggs, leads to osteoporosis, a condition characterised by weak, easy to fracture bones,” says Dr Bahati

The fact that farmers have to sometimes trim the chicken’s feathers in order to have them fit within the cages subjects the birds to even more suffering, according to Dr Bahati.

He adds, “Due to the small size, birds are unable to stretch, flap their wings, feather ruffle as well as other behaviours.”

Also known as indoor cages, the battery cages is a system whereby poultry are reared in identical rows and columns of cages connected for easy feeding and collection of eggs. 

This system allows eggs laid to roll out of the cage to a receiving gutter while food receptacles are outside the cage and water is supplied using pipes bearing drinking nipples. 

Advantages

Some of the advantages of this modern system include high egg production and quality meat. The high yield is attributed to the fact that movement of the poultry is minimal hence energy is conserved and directed to production of eggs.

Besides, this system is less labour intensive as collection of eggs is within the system.

The system also allows for high levels hygiene, thus keeping diseases and infections at bay.  

“However, the battery cage system lacks physical and psychological space for the poultry; the poultry lack exercise resulting to higher incidences of metabolic disorders. The system lacks nesting opportunities resulting to severe frustration for many birds each time an egg is laid,” reads the a recent report by Anaw.

Poultry rearing on the rise

Published in June this year, the Anaw report reveals that poultry rearing has been on the rise for the last 15 years. 

This venture, the report further reveals, dramatically changed, moving from traditionally small family farms to a large agricultural industry. This is intended to meet the high demand for poultry products, occasioned by a rising population. 

“As of 2010, commercialisation of poultry farming was introduced and [was] accepted by commercial farmers in Kenya,” reads the report.

 “This was after the introduction of the Agricultural Sector Development Strategy (ASDS) by the government in a bid to boost the agricultural sector and poultry farming with it. Change was remarkable,” the report adds.

No adequate laws

The report indicates that there lacks adequate laws and policies to govern the poultry sector. 

“As it stands, poultry farmers in the country are at liberty to exercise any production means they deem fit to further boost their produce,” the report says.

The report recommends for reforms in the Kenyan poultry industry, adding that frameworks should be put in place to govern this sector.

On his part, Dr Bahati calls for intensive sensitisation among poultry keepers on the need to mind the welfare of their birds and keep them in physical and psychological health.

About 21 years ago, this system was banned in the European Union under the European Union Council Directive 1999/74/EC . The directive was passed by the EU on minimum standards for keeping egg laying birds.