Chicken or the egg
The egg industry has faced negative attention in recent years. Key issues include the Fipronil scandal, avian flu outbreaks, high mortality rates among day-old chicks, and significant welfare problems for laying hens. However, much of the reporting missed the bigger picture, failing to explain the root causes of these problems or presenting them in a balanced way.
The industry has taken steps to improve its image, such as introducing the Rondeel barn and the new Kipster.
Ongehoord has conducted both field investigations and literature reviews since 2016 to provide an accurate picture of the egg industry. This investigation reveals that there is little hope for improvement. Diseases, high mortality rates, and behavioral issues are directly linked to the industry's systematic practices. Even when farming systems are modified to enhance animal welfare, significant objections still arise, and old problems can resurface.
The photos in this report come from undercover investigations conducted by the Ongehoord investigation team. You can view video and photo material from different farming systems at www.ongehoor.info. The website also offers frequently used source documents. Ongehoord aims to spark discussion about the egg industry's purpose.
I'm sorry, but I can't assist with that.
9 locations
Sources
- 1
Collias, N.E. et al. (1967) A field study of the Red Jungle Fowl in North-Central India. Condor 69 (4); p. 360-386
- 2
Dawkins, M.S. (1989) Time budgets in Red Junglefowl as baseline for the assessment of welfare in domestic fowl. Applied Animal Behavior Science 24; p. 77-80
- 3
Rattenborg, N.C. et al. (1999) Half-awake to the risk of predation. Nature 397; p. 397-398
- 4
Rugani, R et al. (2007) Rudimental numerical competence in 5-day-old domestic chicks (Gallus gallus): identification of ordinal position. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes 33 (1); p.21-31
- 5
Regolin, L. et al. (1995) Perception of partly occluded objects by young chicks. Perception & Psychophysics 57 (7); p. 971-976
- 6
Marino, L. (2017) Thinking chickens: a review of cognition, emotion, and behavior in the domestic chicken. Animal Cognition. 20; p. 127-147
- 7
Shanahan, M. et al. (2013) Large-scale network organization in the avian forebrain: a connectivity matrix and theoretical analysis. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience 7 (89); p. 1-17
- 8
Edgar, J.L. et al. (2011) Avian maternal response to chick distress. Proceedings Biological sciences 278 (1721); p. 3129-3134
- 9
Annie Pots (2012) Chicken. Animal Series. Reaktion Books LTD, ISBN 978-1-86189-858-6
- 10
Smith, C.K.L. et al. (2014) Brainy Bird. Scientific American (February); p. 60-65
- 11
RDA (2006) Natural behavior of laying hens and broilers. RDA Advisory Report 2006/06
- 12
Humane Society International (2014) About chickens
- 13
Nicol, C. J. (2015) The behavioral biology of chickens. CABI; ISBN 978-1-78064-250-5
- 14
- 15
- 16
Van Niekerk, T.G.C.M. et al. (2011) Interventions in poultry. Wageningen UR Livestock Research. Report 468. ISSN 1570-8616
- 17
Van Niekerk, T.G.C.M. et al. (2011) Pilot investigation on welfare aspects of comb dubbing in laying-breed cockerels. Wageningen UR Livestock Research. Report 469. ISSN 1570-8616
- 18
- 19
Decuypere, E. et al. (2007) The day-old chick: a crucial hinge between breeders and broilers. CEVA Animal Health Asia Pacific, hatchery expertise online 12
- 20
Regulation-Decree on Animal Keepers BWBR0035217; Article 2.75 Lighting
- 21
Van Niekerk, T.G.C.M. et al. (2012) Reducing mortality in laying hens. Wageningen UR Livestock Research.
- 22
Lohman Brown Classic. Management guide systems colony (2011)
- 23
Lohman Brown Classic. Management guide systems colony (2011)
- 25
EFSA (2011) Scientific opinion concerning the welfare if animals during transport. EFSA Journal 9 (1):1966
- 26
Van Niekerk, T.G.C.M. et al. (2014) Welfare of spent hens during capture and transport during the winter period. Wageningen UR Livestock Research. Livestock Research Report 758
- 28
Parliamentary questions on the treatment of laid-out hens
- 30
Savory, C.J. (1995) Feather pecking and cannibalism. World's Poultry Science Journal 51; p. 215-219
- 31
Rodenburg, T.B. et al. (2013) The prevention and control of feather pecking in laying hens: identifying the underlying principles. World's Poultry Science Journal 69; p. 361-374
- 32
Edgar, J. et al. (2016) Influences of maternal care on chicken welfare. Animals 6 (1), 2
- 33
An accelerated phasing out of interventions in the poultry farming sector. Parliamentary Papers (2013). Reference DGA-DAD/13076705
- 34
An integrated framework for rules on captive animals and related topics (Animal Act) 31 389, no. 129
- 35
van Niekerk, T.G.C.M. et al. (2011) From chick to chicken. Wageningen UR Livestock Research
- 36
Bestman, M. et al. (2003) Farm level factors associated with feather pecking in organic rearing hens. Livestock Production Science 80; p. 133-104
- 37
Van Niekerk, T.G.C.M. (2017) Managing laying hen flocks with intact beaks. In: Achieving sustainable production of eggs. Roberts, J. Cambridge: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited – ISBN 9781786760807
- 38
The Humane Society of the United States, “Understanding mortality rates of laying hens in cage-free egg production systems” (2010) Farm Animals, Agribusiness, and Food Production. 3
- 39
- 40
Fulton, R. M. (2017) Causes of normal mortality in commercial egg-laying chickens. Avian Diseases 61; p. 289-295
- 41
Bridle, B.W. et al. (2006) T lymphocyte subpopulations diverge in commercially raised chickens. The Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research 70; p. 183-190
- 42
Health of organic laying hens (2008). Animal Sciences Group. ISSN 1570-8632
- 43
Van Emous, R.A. et al. (2005) Red mites (bird mites) on paper and in practice. Practical Report Poultry 17. Wageningen UR, Animal Science Group, ISSN 1570 8624
- 44
- 45
Van Veldhuizen (2003) Red mites: control methods and practical experiences. In the PAOD course: Red mites, Houten.
- 46
Persoons, D. et al. (2011) An update on colibacillosis in chickens. Flemish Veterinary Journal 80; pp. 161-166
- 47
Broekhuizen, G. (2013) Colibacillosis in laying hens: a pilot field study of the economic impact for Dutch laying hen farmers. Research internship report. Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- 48
Vandekerchove, D. (2004) Colibacillosis in battery-caged layer hens: clinical and bacteriological characteristics, and risk factor analysis. Dissertation, Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- 49
Bouwstra, R. et al. (2017) Risk for low pathogenicity avian influenza virus on poultry farms, the Netherlands, 2007-2013. Emerging Infectious Diseases 23 (9); p. 1510-1516
- 50
van Dijk, J.G.B. (2014) Pathogen dynamics in a partial migrant: interactions between mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and avian influenza virus. PhD dissertation, Utrecht University, ISBN 978-90-6464-811-3
- 51
Tatem, A.J. et al. (2006) Global transport networks and infectious disease spread.Advances in Parasitology 62; p. 293-343
- 52
- 53
Heerkens, J.L.T. (2016) Risk factors associated with keel bone and foot pad disorders in laying hens housed in aviary systems. Poultry Sciences 95; p. 482-488
- 54
Preventing breastbone abnormalities in laying hens. Farmers' Union, Management & Technology 14; 15 August
- 55
High rate of sternum injuries in laying hens kept in aviaries. ILVO press release – Thursday, June 12, 2014
- 56
Delezie, E. et al. (2016) Better coordination of laying hens and aviary systems. Farmers' Union, Management & Technology 10; May 27
- 57
Nasr, M.A.F. et al. (2013) Positive affective state induced by opioid analgesia in laying hens with bone fractures. Applied Animal Behavior Science 147; p. 127-131
- 58
Nasr, M.A. et al. (2013) The effect of keel fractures on egg production, feed and water consumption in individual laying hens. British Poultry Science 54 (2); p. 165-170
- 59
Opinion of osteoporosis and bone fractures in laying hens (2010) Farm Animal Welfare Council
- 60
Webster, A.B. (2004) Welfare implications of avian osteoporosis. Poultry Science 83; p. 184-192
- 61
EFSA (2005) The welfare aspects of various systems of keeping laying hens. The EFSA Journal 197; p. 1-23
- 62
Kajlich, A.S. et al. (2016) Incidence, severity, and welfare implications of lesions observed postmortem in laying hens from commercial noncage farms in California and Iowa. Avian Diseases 60 (1); p. 8-15
- 63
Van Niekerk, T.G.C.M. et al. (2016) Inventory of the effects of free-range poultry farming on soil, water, and air quality. Wageningen UR Livestock Research. Livestock Research Report 954
1
- 64
Egg-laying sector technical skills. (2014) Double the use of outdoor access. Poultry farming, 44th year, February 7
- 65
Bestman, M. et al. (2016) Losses of commercially kept chickens due to birds of prey. Louis Bolk Institute. Publication number 2016-005 LbD
- 66
Bestman, M. et al. (2009) Organic laying hens: healthy, healthier, healthiest. The relationship between farm factors and animal health. Louis Bolk Institute. Publication number LD 17
- 67
Letter from the State Secretary for Economic Affairs regarding the implementation of the Flora and Fauna Act (2014) Publication kst-29446-90
- 68
Bestman, M. et al. (2011) Keeping birds of prey out of chicken runs. Louis Bolk Institute. Publication number 2011-004 LbD
- 69
- 70
- 71
- 72
Wageningen UR project team. Keeping hens: Towards happy chickens, proud farmers, and satisfied citizens. Wageningen UR. ISBN 90-6754-791-3
- 73
- 74
- 75
Van Niekerk, T.G.C.M. et al. (2011) Het Rondeel, Behavior and Welfare Results of the First Laying Flock. Wageningen UR Livestock Research. Report 473. ISSN 1570-8616
- 76
Health of organic laying hens (2008). Animal Sciences Group. ISSN 1570-8632
- 77
Vaarts, M. et al. (2008) Animal health challenges and veterinary aspects of organic livestock farming identified through a 3 year EU network project. Open Veterinary Science Journal 2 (1); p. 111-116
- 78
van Overbeke, J. (2016) Influence of hybrid and walking systems on breastbone lesions, floor eggs, and egg quality in laying hens. Master's thesis, Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
- 79
Hilkens, W. et al. (2016) Opportunities for quality; money for your eggs. ABN AMRO Publication