The proactive attitude of the laying hen industry, together with the marketing structures, has written a success story. Austria can proudly say that it has been the only EU member state to be free of laying cages since January 1, 2020 and thus to have the most animal-friendly laying hen husbandry across the EU. The number of holdings and laying hens, the structure of the holdings, the egg prices and the level of self-sufficiency have developed positively with the industry decision on the early end of cages in Austria.
simple modeling of an animal welfare turnaround for the broiler chickens shows that more space per broiler chicken may have to be combined with a slower growing genetics with additional production costs of 7-46%. Based on the experience in laying hens, the implementation of animal welfare in fattening poultry can be recommended.
Project lead
