Are we finally nearing the end of the cage age?

In the period between 2018 and 2020, a total of 1.4 million people signed the ‘End the Cage Age’ petition, which aims to end cage housing of farm animals in Europe. In response to this civic initiative, the European Parliament commissioned Utrecht University researchers to prepare an advisory report on the potential for abolishing cage housing. The researchers presented their report entitled ‘End the Cage Age - Looking for Alternatives’ to the European Parliament on 13 April.

Kip loopt in een kooivrije omgeving op kippenboerderij Kipster
Chicken in cage-free environment at Kipster.

Behavioural biologists, animal scientists, veterinarians and ethicists from Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine compiled all available scientific literature on potential alternatives to cage housing. ‘We were mainly focused on laying hens and pigs. These are the most commonly reared animals and there are already cage-free alternatives available or in development for both species,’ explains Bas Rodenburg, Professor of Animal Welfare at Utrecht University. As for other animal species – such as dairy and veal calves and rabbits – the researchers presented a brief overview of the current situation and possibilities.

Scavenging, rooting and pecking

‘We demonstrated that the abolishment of cage housing would have positive effects on animal behaviour and welfare,’ Rodenburg explains. ‘Animals in cage-free environments will exhibit their natural behaviours. Chickens and pigs are omnivores, and normally spend the whole day scavenging, rooting and pecking. That's essential for those animals, but they obviously need something to rummage about in like sand or wood shavings. That's difficult or impossible to achieve in a caged environment.’ The researchers conducted a sustainability analysis covering all aspects of the production chain and found no differences between cage housing and non-cage alternatives. However, the alternatives did present new risks including a higher risk of social unrest and feather pecking and infectious diseases. In order to ensure a successful transition to cage-free alternatives, farmers will thus have to be properly trained and taught how to use the new systems.
In the case of some species – such as mink, geese and ducks used for foie gras production – no cage-free alternative is available. The alternative would then be a ban on production and a European import ban.

Het Familie Varken
Pigs in a cage-free system. Image: het Familie Varken.

We can make the transition to cage-free alternatives – the question is: how?

The study has demonstrated that we can make the transition to cage-free alternatives. The question is, how do we go about that in practice? ‘You need to give farmers an incentive to make the switch,’ Rodenburg replies. ‘The necessary investment has to yield added value for their products. Consumers also have to be willing to pay a bit more, so you need to raise awareness among that group as well.’
In the short term, that will require financial measures such as subsidies for new welfare-friendly systems and animal welfare product labelling to help consumers shop more consciously. In the longer term, legislation could be used to ban certain types of cage housing. Rodenburg: ‘Among other key recommendations, we believe that all stakeholders should be involved in the process so that they can help to shape the new livestock industry together.’

We demonstrated that the abolishment of cage housing would have positive effects on animal behaviour and welfare

Presentation to the European Parliament

Bas Rodenburg, Professor of Animal Welfare at Utrecht University, and Maite van Gerwen, Project Manager at the Utrecht University Centre for Sustainable Animal Stewardship, presented the ‘End the Cage Age - Looking for Alternatives’ report to the European Parliament on 13 April. The presentation was streamed live and can be watched here

In May, the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee voted in favour of a motion to ban caged animals in the food industry by 2027. The proposal was approved by an overwhelming majority of the European Parliament in early June (558 votes in favour, 37 against and 85 abstentions). It's now up to the European Commission to legislate towards phasing out all cages and crates by 2027.

CAGE-FREE SYSTEMS

Cage-free systems for sows range from farrowing crates in which the sow is tethered during the first few days before and after farrowing and released after a maximum of one week, to systems where the sow farrows freely and is not tethered. At Family Pig (‘Familievarken’), sows are kept in small groups and are free to choose a suitable nest in which to farrow their piglets. The various litters can play with each other and will later be kept in the same pen and group as the finishing pigs. After weaning, the sows return to the large group of pregnant sows. The natural sandy soil and floor feeding encourage both sows and fattening pigs to forage for food in the most natural way possible. An innovative pig toilet system helps to keep the pen clean.

Verschillende varkens families liggen bij elkaar.
Pigs in a cage-free system. Image: het Familie Varken.

This is an article from Vetscience issue 11 (in Dutch).

Vetscience