Battery enclosure is a housing system used for various animal production methods, but especially for laying hens. The name comes from the arrangement of rows and columns of identical enclosures linked together, in a unit, as in artillery batteries. Although the term is usually applied to poultry farms, similar enclosure systems are used for other animals. The battery enclosure has generated controversy between animal rights advocates and industrial producers.
Battery enclosures are the dominant form of housing for laying hens around the world. They reduce aggression and cannibalism among chickens, but are barren, restrict movement, prevent many natural behaviors, and increase levels of osteoporosis. In 2014, about 95% of eggs in the US are manufactured in battery cages. In the UK, statistics from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that 50% of eggs produced in England throughout 2010 come from cages (45% of clearances, 5% of barns). However, the introduction of the European Union Council Directive 1999/74/EC banning conventional battery cages in the European Union from January 2012 for welfare reasons means that the number of eggs from battery cages in EU countries is declining rapidly.
Video Battery cage
Example
The battery cage is also used for minks, rabbits, chinchillas and foxes in feather farms, and most recently for Asian coconut mongoose for coffee mongoose coffee production.
Maps Battery cage
History
Before the cage was found, most hens were free.
The initial reference to the battery enclosure appears in Milton Arndt's 1931 book, Battery Brooding, where it reports that its cage enclosure is healthier and has higher egg production than its conventional herd. At this early date, the battery enclosure already has a sloping floor that allows the eggs to scroll to the front of the cage, where they are easily collected by farmers and out of reach of chickens. Arndt also mentioned the use of belt conveyors under the cage to remove impurities, which provide better air quality control and reduce fly breeding.
The original battery enclosure extends the technology used in battery grip, which is a cage with wire floors and integral heating elements for the brooding chicks. The wire floor allows the dirt to pass through, removing it from the chicks environment and reducing the risk of diseases carried by impurities.
Early battery cages are often used to select chickens based on performance, as it is easy to track how many eggs each chicken spawn if only one chicken is placed in a cage. Later, this is combined with artificial insemination, giving the technique in which each parent is known. This method is still used today.
Arndt's preliminary report on the battery enclosure is very enthusiastic. Arndt reports:
"This form of battery is becoming widely used throughout the country and seems to solve a number of problems encountered with laying hens in ordinary storied homes on the floor.
In the first edition of this book I talked about my experimental work with 220 pullets that were maintained for a year in individual cages. By the end of this year, it was discovered that the birds that were locked in batteries were flowing the same size in ordinary houses. Birds consume less feed than those on the floor and this coupled with increased production makes them more profitable than the same amount at the laying house.
A number of progressive poultry breeders from across the United States and some in foreign countries work with me in doing experimental work with this type of battery and each and every one of them is very satisfied with the results obtained. In fact, a number of them have since put their entire laying chickens in individual chicken batteries. "
In 1967, Samuel Duff filed a patent for "battery cage" in a patent US3465722.
The use of spawn batteries increased gradually, becoming the dominant method before the integration of the egg industry in the 1960s. Battery cage practice was criticized in the landmark book Ruth Harrison Veterinary Machine , published in 1964.
In 1990, North and Bell reported that 75% of all commercial layers in the world and 95% in the United States are kept in cages.
Overall, the locked layer facilities are more expensive to build than high-density masking, but can be cheaper to operate if designed to minimize labor.
North and Bell reported the following economic benefits to lay the cage:
1. It is easier to maintain the pullet; no birds underfoot. 2. Egg floor removed. 3. Eggs are cleaner. 4. Accelerated extermination. 5. In many cases, less feed is needed to produce a dozen eggs. 6. Damage is omitted. 7. More pullets can be placed in certain home floor space. 8. Internal parasites are removed. 9. The need for labor is generally much reduced
They also mention the disadvantages of the cage:
1. Handling dirt can be a problem. 2. Generally, the fly becomes a bigger disruption. 3. Investment per pullet may be higher than in case of floor operation. 4. There is a slightly higher percentage of blood spots in the egg. 5. The bones are more fragile and processors often ignore the price of poultry.
Losses 1 and 2 can be removed with dirt conveyors, but some industrial systems do not have dirt conveyors.
Legislation
European Union
In 1999, the EU Council Directive 1999/74/EC banned conventional battery cages in the EU beginning in 2012, after elimination for 12 years. In their 1996 report, the Commission on European Scientific Veterinary Sciences (SVC) condemned the battery cage, concluding:
"It is clear that due to its small size and infertility, the battery cage as used today has heavy losses attached to the welfare of chickens".
The EU Directive allows enriched or "equipped" cages for use. Under the directive, the enriched enclosure should be at least 45 cm and should provide each chicken with at least 750Ã, cmÃ,² space; 600Ã, cmÃ,² of this should be "usable area" - 150Ã, cmÃ,² is for the nest. The enclosure should also contain garbage, perch and "claw shortening devices". Several animal welfare organizations, such as Compassion in World Farming, have criticized this move, calling for enriched cages to be banned because they believe they do not provide significant or beneficial welfare benefits compared to conventional battery enclosures.
Germany banned the conventional battery cage from 2007, five years earlier than required by the EU Directive, and has banned the enriched enclosure from 2012. Mahi Klosterhalfen of the Albert Schweitzer Foundation has been instrumental in a strategic campaign against battery enclosures in Germany.
Switzerland
Switzerland bans battery cages from January 1, 1992; it was the first country to impose such a ban.
United States
Section California Proposition 2 (2008) aims, in part, to reduce or eliminate the problems associated with battery enclosures, by setting the standard of space relative to free movement and wingspan, rather than the size of the enclosure.
The battery enclosure is also illegal in Michigan because HB 5127, passed in 2009, mandates that certain livestock have enough room to stand, lie down, turn and lengthen their legs, rather than be confined in small cages.
In Ohio, there is a moratorium on permits for the construction of new battery enclosures as of June 2010.
Oregon SB 805 also prohibits battery enclosure and sets the transition to enriched colony enclosure, doubling the space per laying hen. This Act serves as a model for the national agreement between Human Society of the United States and United Egg Producers.
Australia
The 2009 'Practice Code' allows the use of battery enclosures. The written commitment by the Federal government to review this practice is scheduled for 2010; no further communication. During 2013, the state government of Tasmania plans to reduce battery enclosures and budget finance compensation for affected farmers, but this was canceled after the 2014 election. Attempts to change the law have become the object of controversy; RSPCA Australia officially campaigns against caged eggs.
Welfare issues
There are some welfare issues regarding the housing battery system and livestock enclosures. These are presented below in chronological order their estimate will affect the chickens.
Chick culling
Due to modern selective breeding, laying strains are different from meat production strains. The male birds of the laying strains do not lay eggs and are not suitable for meat production, therefore, they are destroyed immediately after sex, often on the day of hatching. Destruction methods include cervical dislocations, asphyxia by carbon dioxide and maceration using high-speed grinders.
Animal rights groups have used live chicks videos that are placed into macerators as evidence of cruelty in the egg production industry. Maseration, together with cervical dislocations and asphyxia by carbon dioxide, are all considered euthanasia methods acceptable to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Consumers can also be surprised just because of the death of animals that are not eaten.
Cutting the beak
To reduce the harmful effects of puncturing feathers, cannibalism, and pecking vents, most chicks that enter the battery enclosure are trimmed in the beak. This is often done on the first day after hatching, along with sexing and receiving vaccinations. Cutting beak is a procedure many scientists consider to cause acute pain and depression with chronic pain; it is done on chicks for all types of housing systems, not just battery enclosures.
Home size
At around the age of 16 weeks, snacks (chickens that have not started laying eggs) are placed inside the cage. In countries with relevant laws, floor space for battery cages ranges from 300 cm 2 per bird. The EU standard in 2003 called for at least 550 cm 2 per chicken hen. In the US, current recommendations by United Egg Producers are 67 to 86 in 2 (430 to 560 cm 2 ) per bird. The space available for each chicken in the battery enclosure is often depicted less than the size of a sheet of A4 paper (624 cm 2 ). Others commented that the cage is usually about the size of a filing cabinet drawer and holds eight to 10 chickens.
Behavior studies show that when rotating, the chicken uses 540 to 1006 cm 2 , when stretching the wings of 653 to 1118 cm 2 , when the wings are flapping 860 to 1980 cm 2 , when the feathers expand 676-1604 cm 2 , when mixing 814 to 1240 cm 2 , and when scratched the soil from 540 to 1005 cm 2 . Spare allowance of 550 cm 2 will prevent the chicken in the battery enclosure from doing this behavior without touching other chickens. Animal welfare scientists have been critical of battery cages due to this space restriction and it is widely assumed that chickens experience boredom and frustration when unable to perform this behavior. Spatial barriers can lead to a variety of abnormal behaviors, some of which hurt their chickens or cagemates.
Light manipulation
To reduce the harmful effects of puncturing feathers, cannibalism and pecking, chickens in battery cages (and other housing systems) are often stored at low light intensity (eg less than 10 lux). Low light intensity can be attributed to welfare costs for chickens as they prefer to eat in brightly lit environments and prefer bright bright areas for active but dimmed behavior (less than 10 lux) for inactive behavior. Dimming of the lamp can also cause problems when the sudden intensity increases temporarily to check the hens; this has been linked as an increased risk factor for pecking feathers and birds can be a fear resulting in a panic type reaction ("hysteria") that may increase the risk of injury.
Being indoors, the chickens in the battery cage do not see the sunlight. Although there is no scientific evidence for this welfare issue, some animal supporters indicate that this is a problem. Cages and other indoor non-enclosure systems will also prevent chickens from seeing natural light throughout their lives.
Osteoporosis
Some studies show that towards the end of the laying phase (around 72 weeks of age), a combination of high calcium demand for egg production and lack of exercise can lead to osteoporosis. This can happen in all residential systems for laying hens, but it is very common in battery enclosure systems where it is sometimes called the 'osteoporosis cage layer'. Osteoporosis causes bones to become brittle and an increased risk of fractures, especially in the legs and bones. Fractures can occur when the chickens are inside the cage and this is usually found in depopulation as long, rest cured, or they may be a fresh break that occurs during the depopulation process. One study showed that 24.6% of chickens from battery cages had oval fractures during the hen while home cages were equipped, barns and clearances had 3.6%, 1.2% and 1.3% respectively. However, chickens from battery cages experienced fewer rest periods (17.7%) compared to chicken in cages (69.1%), free distance (59.8%) and enclosure equipped (31.7%).
Forced moulting
Fish herds are sometimes forced to moulted, instead of being slaughtered, to revive spawn. This involves complete withdrawal of food (and sometimes water) for 7 to 14 days or long enough to cause weight loss of 25 to 35%. It stimulates the chicken to lose its feathers, but also revives egg production. Some herds of cattle may be forced several times. In 2003, more than 75% of all livestock was dropped in the US. The temporary hunger of these chickens is seen as inhuman and is the main point of objections by critics and opponents of such practices. The most commonly used alternative is to slaughter the chicken instead of littering them.
Increasing welfare for egg-producing chicken
The Scientific Veterinary Committee of the European Commission states that "Enriched enclosures and well-designed non-enclosure systems have been shown to have a number of welfare advantages over battery systems in their present form." Supporters of battery farms argue that alternative systems such as free range also have welfare issues, such as increased cannibalism, pecking feathers and pecking vent. A recent review of welfare in the battery cage suggests that such welfare issues are a management problem, unlike the problem of behavioral deprivation, inherent in a system that makes a hen in a narrow and barren state. Free range egg producers can limit or eliminate harmful pecking, especially puncturing feathers, through strategies such as enriching the environment, feeding mash instead of pellets, keeping the rooster steady with chickens, and arranging the nest boxes so that the chickens are not exposed to their respective ventilation; similar strategies are more limited or impossible in battery cages.
References
External links
- The Battery Hen Welfare Trust
- Love in the World of Agriculture - Laying hens egg
- "Archived copy" (PDF) . Archived from the original in 2006-11-26 . Retrieved 2008-04-14 . CS1 maint: BOT: unknown original-url status (link) of "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-02-24 . Retrieved 2016-02-07 . Ã, CS1 maint: BOT: unknown original-url status (link) ISBNÃ, 0-9658942-7-4
- ban on UE battery enclosure
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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