Stocking density increase welcomed by the British Free Range Egg Producers Association

The RSPCA has now agreed to an increase in the external stocking density on Freedom Food free range laying units.

The Lion code was amended in January this year to allow free range producers to increase stocking from 1,000 to 2,000 birds per hectare. It followed a decision taken by Lion code subscribers in September last year. Some producers not involved with Freedom Food have already been implementing expansion plans, but the RSPCA said it wanted to see evidence that bird welfare would not be affected before agreeing to allow increased stocking on farms operating under its Freedom Food code.

The organisation has now agreed to the increase and BFREPA vice chairman John Retson said it was welcome news. "We welcome the RSPCA’s decision to allow free range egg producers to increase the external stocking density from 1,000 to 2,000 birds per hectare."

The RSPCA’s agreement to the increase comes with a number of conditions attached. These include a requirement that five per cent of the total range area should be provided with natural cover and dedicated areas should be provided for behavioural patterns such as perching and dust bathing. Producers should also develop a range management plan and they should pay further attention to the area immediately outside the pop holes.

"Many might be disappointed at the five per cent cover, as BFREPA was working hard to achieve two per cent," said John. "We were particularly concerned for producers on rented land whose right to plant trees may be restricted. However, the fact that the RSPCA will allow natural cover to include shrubs will go some way to overcoming the long term problems with tree planting on rented land," he said.

"We certainly do not want producers to compromise on bird welfare issues. We do not believe the increase in stocking density will adversely affect bird welfare. If we had ever suspected welfare would be affected, we would not have supported the increase."

He said the increased stocking density would not be suitable for all producers because of business and geographical reasons, but where it was suitable it would help overcome the predicted shortage of free range eggs come 2012. Some units could be converted to higher stocking densities without planning permission becoming an issue.

"I would offer one word of caution to free range producers. It is very important that they talk to their packer about their plans before incurring major capital expenditure on increasing their output," said John. BFREPA wants producers to be sure they have a market for their eggs before committing to increased production.

In announcing its decision, the RSPCA said the increase would help meet the rising demand for British free range eggs. It said that in recent years the UK had seen an explosion in the popularity of free range eggs - thanks in part to high profile campaigns by animal welfare organisations and celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

A press release issued by the RSPCA read, "Ironically, this increase in demand by consumers has led to fears from the industry that this cannot be fully met by UK producers. If there is a shortfall in British eggs, then experience indicates that overseas produced eggs (which are often produced under lower welfare standards) would be imported to fill the gap."

It said that as the vast majority of free range laying hen units in the UK were Freedom Food approved, and therefore inspected to RSPCA standards, it was vital that the RSPCA worked towards finding a solution that was based on both sound science and professional expertise. The society had been working positively with the industry since early 2008 in order to make an informed decision, and it had undertaken numerous site visits and a wide ranging consultation with industry, producers, research scientists, vets and retailers, to fully consider all aspects of the issue, it said.

"This decision was not taken lightly and we look forward to continuing to work positively with the industry to see this improve the number, and conditions, of laying hens reared to the RSPCA’s free range standards," said Alice Clark, senior scientific officer with the RSPCA’s farm animal science department.

"However, this move will not be a simple blanket measure. For such a change to be considered on individual farms, there are also going to be detailed extra requirements, increased enrichment and more provision of natural cover.

"These are aimed at ensuring the land available to the birds is good quality and managed effectively to help safeguard the welfare of the birds," she said. Unless a producer could fulfil these additional requirements they would not be allowed to increase the range stocking density, she said.

"From research and experience we know it is the quality of the range that is extremely important to hen welfare. These additional standards, and any subsequent findings from the field and scientific research, will help to make sure the hens are enjoying the range area even further."

This move will not affect the number of hens allowed indoors, or the maximum number of birds allowed per hectare at any one time, when some areas may be fenced off to rest and rotate under good management. The difference will be the amount of land required over the life of the flock, which will rise from 1,000 birds per hectare to 2,000.

The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) welcomed the decision. "We have been working with the RSPCA to reach an outcome, and we are pleased that this move means the industry will be able to meet the increased demand for British free range eggs," said chief executive Mark Williams.

NFU chief poultry adviser Rob Newbery said, "The expanding market place for free range eggs is a wonderful success story of UK agriculture. The RSPCA’s decision to amend the standards used by Freedom Food, to allow expansion in line with growing demand, is welcomed by the NFU. If the industry does not expand now we risk losing our market to imports, of potentially eggs produced to lower standards in the future," he said.

The increased stocking density now approved by the RSPCA is still lower than the maximum of 2,500 birds per hectare allowed under EU regulations. The RSPCA has told its members that more information and the additional standards would be released by the end of October 2009 – from which point the changes would come into effect.