HC Deb 30 June 1983 vol 44 cc154-5W
17. Mr. Corbett

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made, and at what public cost, on the development of viable alternative systems to intensive battery production of eggs and chickens.

Mrs. Fenner

The detailed information requested is as follows. None of the work has yet progressed sufficiently to determine whether viable alternatives to battery cages exist.

A number of research projects related to the welfare of laying hens both in battery cages and in alternative systems is being funded by the European Community as follows:

  1. 1. An investigation of the social space around the laying hen.
  2. 2. A trial on the effect of group size and social space on egg layers in deep and shallow cages.
  3. 3. A study of the effects of rearing conditions on behaviour and production of laying hens kept in battery cages and on litter.
  4. 4. Research to study the behaviour of laying hens in the aviary system.
  5. 5. An assessment of alternative "get-away" cages for laying hens.
  6. 6. Investigations into nest-site selection by the domestic fowl.
  7. 7. Investigations into feelings of the domestic fowls.
  8. 8. Improvement of poultry cage design.

This programme involves the spending of 890,000ecu (£550,000) over the period 1981–83.

Nationally various alternative systems are being examined. An aviary trial is in progress at the Gleadthorpe experimental husbandry farm and work on a strawyard is planned. Work at three Scottish colleges of agriculture in conjunction with the Poultry Research Centre covers the aviary, perchery, deep litter, strawyard and free range systems. The direct cost to United Kingdom funds in the current financial year is likely to be about £165,000 and in the financial years 1979–83 was about £360,000. In addition there is a considerable amount of research into more general aspects of poultry welfare. The direct cost of this work to United Kingdom funds in the current financial year is estimated to be about £500,000. The poultry industry is also providing support towards parts of the United Kingdom programme.

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