Twitter Instagram
    • Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    Twitter LinkedIn
    CPD Log-In
    OvertheCounter
    • News
      • Dairy / Beef
      • Sheep
      • Pigs / Poultry
      • Equine
      • Companion
      • Retail
      • Training
    • Magazines
      1. May 2022
      2. March 2022
      3. Kitten & Puppy Supplement 2022
      4. January 2022
      5. November 2021
      6. May 2021
      Featured

      Over the Counter – May 2022

      By Simon KingMay 11, 2022
      Recent

      Over the Counter – May 2022

      May 11, 2022

      Over the Counter – March 2022

      March 8, 2022

      Kitten & Puppy Supplement 2022

      March 8, 2022
    • CPD Training
      • AMTRA CPD courses
        • Frontline Academy
        • Companion Animal CPD Modules
        • Livestock CPD Modules
        • Equine CPD modules
        • Poultry CPD Modules
        • Are you a Gold Standard SQP?
      • VETPOL CPD courses
        • Companion Animal CPD Modules
        • Livestock CPD Modules
      • Earning CPD points with overthecounter.news
      • CPD Log-In
    • National SQP Awards
    OvertheCounter
    Pigs / Poultry

    Free range egg producers criticise RSPCA

    Carolyn HendersonBy Carolyn HendersonApril 19, 2017No Comments2 Mins Read
    LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

    The British Free Range Egg Producers Association claims that the RSPCA’s decision to press ahead with the implementation of aerial perching on its Freedom Foods free range egg units could be detrimental to bird welfare.

    Members of the assurance scheme who have flat deck systems have been told to install 8cm of perching per bird by August 2018. Perching was one of several proposed changes tabled by Freedom Foods last July but implementation was delayed after BFREPA raised concerns over what it described as the lack of a proper consultation process.

    BFREPA’s chief executive Robert Gooch said: “We are opposed to this requirement on a number of levels, with hen welfare being our primary concern. The evidence we have seen from Bristol University shows that fitting large amounts of aerial perching can lead to an increase in keel bone damage to hens.

    “At a practical level this will also cause huge difficulties for those retro-fitting perches to sheds that weren’t designed for them, as they are likely to hamper daily management procedures.”

    He said several BFREPA members had carried out trials to measure the impact of perching in commercial situations, and found that installing more than 6cm of perching per hen had no measurable benefit for the birds.

    Mr Gooch said: “We have offered to carry out additional research with the RSPCA to find an amount of perching that improves bird welfare. That invitation remains open.”
    Between 30% and 40% of BFREPA’s members are understood to be affected by the changes – approximately 250 producers.

    “Producers using flat deck systems are already competing in a tough market and are generally operating at a smaller scale compared to multi-tier producers,” Mr Gooch said.  “Ramping up additional costs and requirements on these producers is only going to add pressure to these businesses and dissuade them from investing in their futures.”

    Mr Gooch said he was pleased that the RSPCA had listened to BFREPA’s concerns and withdrawn the requirements for specific perching configurations on multi-tier systems.

     

    Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
    Previous ArticleNational Pig Association responds to Countryfile LA-MRSA feature
    Next Article Countrywide Farmers may sell retail stores

    Read Similar Stories

    Chief Vet urges bird keepers to maintain scrupulous biosecurity standards as housing measures lifted

    Chief Vet warns poultry keepers against complacency or risk losing flocks to bird flu

    New Avian Influenza licensing service now available

    Most Read

    NSA and Moredun work together to support UK sheep farmers 

    May 13, 2022

    Beware of major parasites at turnout

    May 13, 2022

    BVA welcomes Queen’s Speech commitment to prioritise animal welfare in next parliamentary session

    May 12, 2022

    Any animal medicine advertising or promotion should conform to the ‘code of practice’ of the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH).
    For full details contact the publisher or www.noah.co.uk.

    Lewis Business Media Ltd endeavours to make articles and statements as accurate as possible.

    © 2022 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
    Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

    The OTC "tick" mechanism is the copyright of Lewis Business Media Ltd ©2022

    • Pet Business World
    • Pest
    • Pig World
    • Poultry News
    • AA Farmer

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo