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2120 final report.pdf - Agra CEAS Consulting

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THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS TO KEEP LAYING HENSderived from barn eggs, 30% from organic, 22% from cages and the balance from free range,reflecting the impact of differential prices 50 .The technical definitions of the systems in use differ somewhat in Denmark from the minimum EUlegislation and Danish research suggests that the cost of the added national animal welfare adds 3.62Euro cents/kg 51 (around 5%) to the production of caged eggs 52 .The differences in the systems as operated in Denmark compared to the EU legislation are asfollows:Traditional cages only 18 hens are permitted per square metre of floor space which means that only 3 tiers ofcages are allowed (6 tiers are standard in many Member States giving a greater number ofbirds per area of floor space); Danish legislation allows for 600cm 2 per bird compared to 550cm 2 at the EU level (this wasalso the case when the EU minimum requirement was 450cm 2 and took effect from 1979when cages were introduced); a maximum of 6 birds per cage is permitted; light and ventilation must be ‘sufficient’ and there must be an alarm if the power fails; and<strong>final</strong>ly, cage floors must slope by no more than 12 degrees compared to 14 degrees under EUlegislation.Deep litter In aviary systems (in the spring of 2004 accounting for less than 1% of laying hens in Denmark)only 3 levels are permitted where the Directive permits 4 levels.Free range Popholes are required to be at least 50 x 50 cm compared to the Directive’s 35 x 40 cm.Enriched cages Only one system has been approved to date in Denmark and there is at present (May 2004) anon-going national discussion over certain aspects including drinking facilities. The Danishgovernment has stipulated one water nipple for every two birds. This is likely to causeproblems of wet floors and may have a negative impact on animal welfare. It is also physicallydifficult to fit the necessary number of water nipples into a cage.The evolution of use of the different production systems in Denmark is presented in Table A1. 13and Figure A1.9 below. This shows both the steady growth in the use of alternative systems and thefairly steep decline in the use of the caged system from 1994 (possibly linked to the provision ofnational subsidies for investing in alternative systems, see below).50 It should be stated that the Co-op does not stock eggs from caged hens in all its stores due to the exceedingly low demand in thegreater Copenhagen area.51 27DKK at DKK = €0.134.52 This only accounts for the limit to three tiers rather than the standard six. Source: Dansk Erhvervsfjerkrae.131

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