As the Easter weekend approaches and our minds turn to spring, our newsfeeds will soon be full of images of newborn chicks. Yet, for many of the chicks born this week in the UK egg industry, a miserable life in a tiny cage is what lies ahead.

The report, ‘The Case for Ending Beak Trimming’, outlines what beak trimming entails and how it is currently justified, the economic implications of its use, and ultimately why we must move away from this painful practice. Beak trimming is widely employed across the egg industry; this amounts to tens of millions of hens in the UK who suffer this practice.

Secretary of State George Eustice recently announced that DEFRA would launch a call for evidence to assess the impact of a ban on cages for hens by the end of the year. The RSPCA, the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation and The Humane League UK prepared a letter to the Minister calling on him to launch the proposed consultation.

31st March, 2022: The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, the Humane League UK, and the RSPCA hosted influential figures across the media, government and food sector to call for an end to cages for laying hens.

Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF), Humane League, and CAWF Patron Henry Smith MP met in the Waitrose Victoria store with UK food company Waitrose to discuss support for ending cages for laying hens in the UK.

Beatrice was raised in a cage, with barely room to spread her wings. Dimly lit, noisy and crowded, every day was filled with frustration and misery. She was one of the lucky ones. Beatrice was rescued from her cage and is now living her best life with other rescued hens.

Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation Patron, Henry Smith MP, brought a Ten Minute Rule Bill before the House of Commons to end cages for laying hens. The Bill passed it’s first reading. The second reading will be held on Oct 22nd 2021

Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) Patron Henry Smith MP has today (7th September) announced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill on Ending Cages for Laying Hens. The Hen Caging (Prohibition) Bill will have its first reading on 22nd September and if successful will see the UK transition away from enriched cage farming systems for egg laying hens.

The European Commission has said it will work towards new laws to phase out caged animal farming across the bloc.

Ministers are also drawing up plans to clamp down on cages used in farming, which are still used for young broiler chickens, hens, pigs, and game birds. They hope to announce new laws as part of a raft of animal welfare measures to show that the UK can commit to higher standards now it has left the EU.

Chickens are “dying like flies” in their millions while being transported from farms to abattoirs because of poorly ventilated lorries, a whistleblower has told the Guardian.