Animal Welfare for Organic-Laying Hens ✔

Actually the residence period of laying hens is 12 months and therefore flocks have periodically to be renewed. The 50%male hatched chicks are killed as one day old chicken. This gave reason for a project which could develop management systems in respect to appropriate animal welfare of laying hens. Six farms, consultants and scientists participate in this project, developing key parameters to be measured with a passage of layers over the extended residence period and systematically check and record the data in the hen houses.

 The goal of the project is to significantly extend the lifetime of the layinghens to about two years.The suitability of the methods for prolonged laying hen holding is judged at the end of the project to decide their possible merits and further implementation on other farms. 'Animal welfare indicators' show the effects of the actions undertaken. In addition, the economic situation of the farms with senior laying hens is analyzed.