University News for February 1, 2010

Animal welfare concerns that originated in Europe are fueling an increased interest in the use of alternative enriched cages to house laying hens.

Researchers with the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences are evaluating one of several enriched cages for housing laying hens.

The cage houses 24 to 26 birds compared to a conventional cage which houses four to six hens and it offers additional space per bird, egg laying and perching areas and a scratch pad.

Animal Science Professor Emeritus Dr. Bill Guenter notes the 1999 EU Directive, which would have banned cages by 2013, has been relaxed to allow the use of enriched cases.

Clip-Dr. Bill Guenter-University of Manitoba:
The European group insists that all animals must be housed where they have five freedoms.

The housing must allow them to be free from injury, disease and pain, they must be such that the animals are free from hunger and thirst, they must give physical comfort so no physical discomfort is allowed and they must be free from fear and distress so that the animals are living in a comfortable environment.

What is very important is the fact that they must be able to express normal behaviors.

Our traditional cage does not allow the bird to express any of its normal behaviors like nesting, perching, dust bathing, foraging, wing flapping, stretching, body shaking and tail wagging.

Some of the are not very important but they do add to comfort.

Dr. Guenter says, with a referendum in California that will ban cages from that state and the Winnipeg Humane Society's public disapproval of conventional cages, the pressure is moving closer to home.

For UniversityNews.Org, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

*University News is a presentation of the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences