Green
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Written by Philip Lymbery
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Tuesday, 03 January 2012 11:03 |
The amazing and tremendous news is that from the 1st January 2012, the EU ban on the barren battery cage is finally here.
After decades of campaigning against this cruel and inhumane system, and months of work defending the ban from last-minute threats, we can at last take a moment to celebrate.
Hundreds of millions of animals will benefit from this remarkable piece of animal welfare legislation. Already, the number of Europe’s hens spending their lives in alternative systems has risen to more than 130 million – an incredible result. This shows what public pressure can achieve.
A victory for everyone!
Today’s victory is also for all those who care about the lives that farm animals lead. From every single person who buys free-range, organic or barn eggs, to the major multi-national food companies that have also taken a stand and gone ‘cage-free’. Millions of people have played their part in the move away from the barren battery cage.
But our biggest thanks go out to the tens of thousands of you who have taken part in The Big Move campaign: lobbying and pressuring governments across Europe to help protect the legislation from exemptions and postponements. This ban, in many eyes the most monumental victory for animal welfare ever, is your success.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 17 January 2012 11:45 |
BUT the replacement system ("enriched" cages) are only slightly larger and the hens will STILL be in a cage for all of their life. OK they have one shared nest box to lay an egg in per cage, and there will be a small area to scratch in but still it is a cage for life and there is still not room to stretch up high or flap their wings fully.
If you REALLY want to make a difference to the life of commercial hens- only buy Free Range eggs as that is the only way to be sure the hens have access to the outside air etc. Better still, buy Organic eggs as the hens are kept in much smaller flocks if certified Organic.
If every one refused to buy eggs from caged hens, market forces would soon alter the situation!
Just for info - I have just taken home 7 ex battery hens from the clear out of the battery farms at the end of 2011 - they were such a sad sight to see when they came out of the battery unit - but after a week are already doing normal hen things for the first time in their lives - (like being able to flap their wings, scratch in the dirt and stand on something other than wire mesh)