A message from Chris and Lorraine Platt, Co-Founders of Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation
London, 27th March 2024
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.
This Easter Sunday, it will be exactly two years since Defra promised to take action on the use of cages for laying hens.
On 31st March 2022 the Defra Secretary of State pledged to kickstart the legislative process to end cages, by launching a Call for Evidence later that year. But two years later, we are still waiting.
In the meantime, millions and millions of laying hens have endured lives in a cage where they have space no larger than an A4 sheet of paper. They cannot spread their wings, or perform any natural behaviours like dustbathing or nesting. They will never feel the sun on their feathers or touch a blade of grass. Every year the UK delays action, millions of hens continue to suffer.
This Easter, we are asking our supporters to write to their local MP and tell them enough is enough: it’s time to launch the long-awaited Call for Evidence on ending cages for laying hens. If you would like to join us in the mission to end cages for laying hens and email your MP, you can click here for our email template.
In the meantime, we wish you and your family a very Happy Easter.
About Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF)
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation was established in 2016 to raise awareness on the lives of billions of animals reared on intensive farms around the world and how this impact upon animal welfare, the environment and people’s health. We want to highlight the action people can take to help advance farm animal welfare.
Animal welfare is an increasing concern amongst the public, who frequently look to Government to take the lead in both maintaining and improving standards.
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation believes it is highly important that the welfare of farm animals is placed at the forefront of the Governments plan for food and farming along with its focus on productivity, competitiveness, and technology.
Media contact: Sophia Stileman (sophia.stileman@conservativeanimalwelfarefoundation.org)
