Humane end for hens past laying

The practice of culling end-of-lay hens is widespread, but the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) is deeply concerned that the conditions the birds are kept in are inhumane.

The NSPCA's  animal protection unit last week conducted training with the Stutterheim SPCA at a cull outlet which found the facility to be overstocked, with only one water dispenser per cage.

The current South African Poultry Standards require two nipples for every five birds and in terms of the Animals Protection Act, the overstocking and inadequate water provision is a contravention.

Written instructions were issued to the owners of the Stutterheim facility to reduce the stocking densities or modify the cages to provide more water for the birds.

Forty-eight hours were allowed for this. A follow-up inspection found the facility had complied with the warning.

Cull outlets retail end-of-lay  hens to their target market, which is predominantly indigent communities.

When hens at commercial layer farms are no longer productive or the production levels wane to unprofitable margins, they send them to cull outlets.

End-of-lay hens spend 72 to 80 weeks in battery cages and usually end up with calcium deficiencies which affect their skeletal systems.

NSPCA farm animals protection unit national inspector Navesh Singh said the major issue  at cull outlets was injured and sick birds, inhumane handling and unsuitable transportation.

“Chickens must be carried by covering the whole body with both hands so the wings are kept close to the bird's body to prevent flapping which can break the wings. Inhumane or unsuitable handling is cruel and as these birds usually have calcium deficiency from egg laying, their skeletal structures are weak and incorrect handling may result in severe trauma and suffering,” he said.

Injured or compromised birds are easy to spot.

“She will usually have extensive feather loss or may appear to be lethargic and have a discharge from the nares (nostrils) and beak, which often indicates illness. She may also be physically injured, with broken wings or legs. If a bird looks unhealthy she should not be purchased.”

Singh said birds that presented injuries or illness  should not be sold because it exacerbated suffering.

“Such birds must be humanely euthanised to prevent suffering,” he said.

End-of-lay hens should be killed in registered abattoirs, which would ensure that the carcasses were safe for human consumption as they would be certified by qualified meat inspection staff, he said.