Hatching Layers in a More Animal Friendly Way: Who Pays? – The cash desk

The laying hen produces more than 300 eggs per year. After about a year and a half, the chickens no longer lay eggs (well) and are taken for slaughter. But for this transfer, they need to be caught first. On one farm, this is already animal-friendly, but in most cases it is not yet done, and laying hens are hunted upside down on one or two legs. This can lead to a lot of stress, pain, and (serious) injuries. Fortunately, there is a more animal-friendly method and it is not very expensive. But who pays the bill for proper animal trapping?

In most cases, laying hens are hunted using the inverted trapping method. This also means that if you buy eggs with 3-star Better Life, or organic, the laying hens can still be hunted upside down. And this when proper baiting is actually a simple change that could save the suffering of the animals.

Hunting upright is more suitable for animals, and half a cent more expensive

According to Thea van Niekerk, an expert in animal and poultry care, hunting upright chickens is more animal friendly. Poultry farmer Rod Zanders also wanted to offer layer chickens more luxury at the end of their lives and allow them to hold them upright. It takes more time, and therefore more money. Zanders calculated that it would cost him about $ 0.0004 extra per egg to catch upright laying hens, which equates to about half a cent of the extra cost per box of 10 eggs.

Train the baiting team

Eyes on Animals calls for all laying poultry farmers to switch to upright hunting. This is why they go across the country to talk to farmers, training hunting teams to catch up straight. Now also successfully; More and more poultry farmers are turning to erect hunting, but in the big picture, there are still a few. Demeter, Kipster and Rondell hunt their laying hens in an animal-friendly way. Health food stores Ekoplaza and Odin and brand Gijs will hold their chicken upright next time.

Who pays?

Agribusiness economist Henk Hoogeveen explains that something strange is happening in the chain from egg farms to the supermarket. The price a farmer gets for his egg and the price that you pay in the store for that egg is much higher for an organic egg than for a free egg. And this while the steps between them are almost the same for both. This gives the impression that supermarkets are expecting a greater margin for organic eggs. An extra half cent to catch up straight shouldn’t be a problem, right? This quickly costs the farmer an additional 3,000 euros per year.

Poll: 89 percent are willing to pay a little more

The supermarket industry

CBL, the trade association of supermarkets in the Netherlands, did not want to come to the broadcast to discuss this.