Guide for taking action on battery cages

Guide
Written By Australian Alliance for Animals

Recently it was announced that Australia will finally be introducing a national phase-out of battery cages by 2036.

The Alliance is calling on state and territory governments to shorten this unacceptably long phase-out period.

You can do your part by writing to your local state/territory representatives urging them to speed up the phase-out and free hens from cages sooner. Find out how below.

What can Australians do to make sure a phase-out happens as soon as possible? 

If you want to see the phase-out date brought forward, we encourage you to write to your local state/territory:

  • Premier

  • Agriculture minister

  • Member/s of parliament.

Read our media release on this issue here.   

Suggested letter content

You are welcome to use the following dot points for your letters and emails to representatives. Remember that the more personalised and informed your message, the more seriously it will be taken.  

Dear [X],

I am writing to express my strong support for a national phase out of conventional cages for layer hens. However, I believe the proposed timeframe of 2032-2036 is unnecessarily long and I urge all state and territory governments to implement a shorter timeline for the following reasons. 

1.  Animal welfare  

The Independent Panel on Poultry Welfare reviewed the extensive scientific literature on layer hen housing systems and concluded that conventional cages should be phased out. The scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that it is impossible to meet the welfare needs of hens in conventional cages, and unlike other systems, it is not possible to address these welfare challenges through improved management.  

Based on the most recent data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Australian Alliance for Animals estimate that up to 55 million additional hens could be subjected to the welfare impacts of conventional cages over the course of the proposed timeline. This is unacceptable given the long lead-in time for developing the new Standards which has already provided the egg industry with considerable notice, and the existence of more humane production systems that now make up a majority of Australia’s egg production.

Industry lobby groups have claimed that phasing out conventional cages will increase biosecurity risks relating to infectious diseases linked to contact with wild birds. This claim is highly misleading. The Poultry Standards do not prohibit indoor production systems. If producers are genuinely concerned about biosecurity risks in outdoor systems, they still have the option of investing in the furnished cage, barn or aviary systems permitted under the standards.  

2.  Consumer and community expectations 

Recent data published by the ABS show that the percentage of layer hens in conventional cages has fallen to the lowest level since cages were introduced and is now sitting at 5.36 million hens or 32% of the national layer flock. This is due to the market’s transition to cage-free alternatives including barn and free-range. At the supermarket level, where consumers can choose between production systems, cage eggs have fallen to 36% of volume and 28% of value. This clearly demonstrates that an increasing majority of Australian consumers are moving away from cage eggs. 

Industry lobby groups claim that conventional cages should not be phased out because it will increase the price of an affordable source of protein. The reality is eggs will remain affordable following the phase out of conventional cages. The Decision Regulation Impact Statement for the Poultry Standards (the RIS) found that egg consumers would incur a maximum increased cost of $1.51 per year as a result of the proposed phase out. For a family who buys a carton of eggs a week, that equates to approximately 3 cents per week.  

The industry’s argument also presupposes that it is families on lower incomes who purchase cage eggs. Market research has indicated that concern for animal welfare does not decrease for people in lower socio-economic brackets. Families on lower incomes may continue to purchase eggs produced to higher welfare standards because they care about animal welfare. Analysis by BG Economics indicates that a phase out of conventional cages would be beneficial for such families as it may lead to decreases in the price of non-cage eggs due to increasing economies of scale in those categories.

Further social research commissioned by the RSPCA in February 2021 showed that: 

  • 81% of Australians are concerned about hens being kept in battery cages 

  • 87% say the use of battery cages impacts their choice of purchasing or eating eggs 

  • 77% support a phase out of battery cages 

  • 80% of the reasons for supporting a phase out of battery cages relate to animal welfare 

  • 73% would feel more positive towards their state or territory government if it supported a phase out of battery cages.

It is clear the Australian community supports a phase out of conventional cages for layer hens. However, their reaction to the proposed timeline following the release of the Poultry Standards was overwhelming negative, with the vast majority of commenters calling for a shorter timeframe.  

3.  Competition  

Another reason to shorten the proposed timeline relates to its impact on competition. The RIS found that “the longer the phase-out period, the worse the overall impacts on competition” as any new market entrants would be prohibited from constructing new conventional cages thereby placing them at a competitive disadvantage to existing cage egg businesses protected by the long phase out timeline.

The main beneficiaries of such regulatory protectionism would be those businesses that invested in new conventional cages in recent years. Alarmingly, the RIS identified that approximately 30% of cage infrastructure was installed between 2016 to 2019, while standards that would govern the legality of such infrastructure were under review. This was by all accounts a reckless investment and, as a matter of policy, should not be rewarded with regulatory protection.  

4.  Market access 

A final factor supporting a shorter phase out timeframe is trade and market access relating to Australia’s international reputation on animal welfare. Over 75% of OECD nations have phased out conventional cages. While Australia does not export significant volumes of eggs, the continued legality of conventional cage production reflects poorly on Australia’s animal welfare record and may create additional complexities in negotiating trade agreements with markets sensitive to animal welfare, including the European Union.

Allowing conventional cages to continue into the mid 2030s will negatively impact market competition and access, is out of step with Australian community expectations, and would unnecessarily subject up to 55 million additional hens to a life of misery. Australians want to see strong, nationally consistent, science-based standards of animal welfare that reflect their values and expectations. I urge you to commit to implementing the phase out of conventional cages over a shorter time period.

Kind regards,

[Your name].

Up to 55 million more hens may suffer before battery cages are completely banned.  

Read more on our blog

If you would like to learn more about this issue, read our blog on the topic here.

Learn from our core members 

Photo (chicken) sourced from: Jo-Anne McArthur We Animals Media.   

Australian Alliance for Animals
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