Animal Welfare Advocates
Animal Advocacy Groups are generally Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that focus on animal welfare issues. Their work involves:
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Spreading awareness and education related to their special interests
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Working with policy makers to change regulations
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Pressuring relevant organizations or systems for change
Stance
Almost all animal welfare advocates are against both battery AND enriched cages. Battery cages are especially disliked due keeping hens in “extreme confinement" (PJ Nyam) and preventing expressions of natural “comfort” behaviours. Former Mercy for Animals President, Nathan Runkle released a statement criticizing the 20-year phase-out timeline of the NFACC’s Code of Practice, as "Cramming animals into cages so small they cannot walk or spread their wings is horrific animal cruelty that should be ended with the utmost speed and urgency," (source).
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But there is acknowledgement that Canada is heading in the right direction. According to Geoff Urton (Senior Manager, B.C. SPCA): ​
“It’s [NFACC’s Code of Practice] probably the single greatest development for animal welfare in Canada’s history. It’s going improve the lives of 26 million hens every year"
- Geoff Urton (source)
This acknowledgement comes along side strong criticisms regarding the regulated space per hen, potential non-functionality of certain “enrichment” features and claims of complacently. The enriched system is advertised by the egg industry as appropriately addressing welfare concerns. Some advocates are concerned that if the public accepts this, progress in agricultural animal rights will stall, hens will continue to suffer, and the egg industry has a “work-around on the ban [of battery cages]” (PJ Nyam, Corporate engagement manager at Mercy For Animals).
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See “perches” for example:
In NFACC’s Code of Practice regulations, perch length matches scientific findings that ensure each hen has enough space to use the structure. Animal advocates have pointed out that there is no minimal head space above the perch for enriched cages; this regulation only exists for cage-free systems (2.5.3 Perching and “Space Requirements for Specific Amenities” in NFACC's scientific committee report). This lack of regulation causes speculation that perches could be set too close to the cage ceiling, forcing hens to crouch when they use them.
Enrichement Feature Example
Advocates claim that consumers won’t be satisfied with the phasing out of battery cages alone. Melissa Matlow (Campaign direction for World Animal Protection) said this about enriched cages:
"It is great to hear that conventional cages are on track to being phased-out four years ahead of time but disappointing to hear about the growth in enriched cages versus organic, free run and free-range. To our organization and a growing number of consumers, a cage is still a cage.”
- Melissa Matlow (source)
Beyond the Egg:
There is a subset of animal welfare advocates who propose that the only way to achieve true hen welfare is to “avoid eating eggs and choose more plant-based foods” (Kimberly Johnson, blog author with Mercy For Animals). This push for alternative protein can be seen as a push to eliminate commercial laying hen operations altogether.