One in Five UK Eggs Come from Caged Hens, RSPCA Reveals
New research from the charity shows one in five eggs in the UK comes from hens kept in cages, despite growing public opposition to the practice.
Last updated 7th Sep 2024
The RSPCA is urging the UK Government to take action against caged farming practices as part of its End the Cage Age campaign.
Their research showed that currently, one in five eggs in the UK comes from hens kept in cages, despite growing public opposition to the practice.
The campaign calls on the government to commit to launching a consultation to ban cages for farmed animals in England within the first six months of office.
The charity is encouraging people in Wales and across the UK to lobby their MPs to support the ban, which would impact the 10 million hens still kept in ‘enriched’ cages and the 200,000 pregnant pigs forced to give birth in crates each year.
The charity say that these cages prevent animals from moving freely or engaging in natural behaviours like foraging, dust bathing for hens, or nest building for pigs.
Their research also showed that 30% of hens and 60% of pregnant pigs in the UK are still kept in cages.
Polling by the RSPCA reveals that 77% of people in Wales oppose keeping farm animals in cages.
Meanwhile, 82% oppose keeping hens in cages, and 71% oppose the use of farrowing crates for pigs.
Emily Harris, Campaigns Manager at the RSPCA, said:
"Keeping farmed animals in cages is an outdated practice that has no place in modern society.
"We cannot claim to be leaders in animal welfare while farmed animals are still confined to cages that offer them little more space than an A4 sheet of paper."
While the Welsh Government has committed to restricting cages for farm animals in its Animal Welfare Plan, the RSPCA say they want progress in England to bring about wider legislative change.
The RSPCA’s campaign has gained the support of nearly 18,000 people for its push on a nationwide ban on the use of cages in farming.
The charity highlights that while free-range eggs make up 67% of UK egg sales, a significant portion of hens are still caged.