Battery Cages:
- The Delhi High Court (HC) had asked the government on April 10 to come out with rules to end cruelty to egg-laying hens after it got to know that hens used for production of eggs were reared in small, barren wire cages (size of an A4 sheet) called ‘battery cages’, a name given due to the arrangement of cages placed side by side.
- Criticism:
- The battery cages are so small that the animals are unable to stand up straight or spread their wings without touching the sides of the cage or other hens.
- This has led to sore feet, minor and major abrasions, broken bones and other bodily injuries to the birds. It also increases the risk of diseases in the flock.
Salient Features of Draft Rules by the agriculture ministry:
- It prohibits keeping hens in cramped ‘battery cages’ by the poultry industry.
- It prohibits use of ‘growth promoters’ in feed of hens. Prohibitions with regard to feed also include a complete ban on feeding hens with “remains of dead chicks” and the practice of withdrawal of feed to induce molt in birds.
- It restricts the use of ‘antibiotics’ for therapeutic (disease treatment) purposes only.
- It is mandatory to keep minimum 550 sq cm of floor space per bird. Each cage should also accommodate preferably a minimum of 6-8 birds, ensuring reasonable space for hens and access to feed and water.
Way ahead:
- Stakeholders can raise objections on the draft, if any, within 30 days so that it can finalise legally valid guidelines to end such cruel practices under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act.
- Once the final rules are notified, it will come into force from January 1, 2020, and poultry farms will have to make changes under the new guidelines before January 1, 2025.
