Canadian Commercial Egg Farmers
Canadian Commercial Egg Farmers take care of and manage the many hens in their barns in order to collect the eggs laid. In this controversy, farmers must balance the demands of consumers, special interest groups and regulators while bearing the economic reality of transitioning away from battery cage housing systems. Farmers
Stance
Key Concerns for the Transition:
Learning
The steep learning curve required to facilitate good physical and behavioural hen welfare in an unfamiliar system.
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Alternative housing systems lead to:
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Increased risk of disease and mortality.
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Larger flock sizes, which make negative natural behaviours, like suffocation from hen piles, harder to mitigate.
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Productivity
The cost of variable egg productivity
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When hen welfare is poor the number of eggs a hen produces decreases.
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Less eggs = Less revenue
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Increased mortality (hen death) is associated with cage-free systems and represents a significant economic deterrent for farmers (van Staaveren et al., 2018)(Sherwin et al., 2010).
Economics
The cost of transition: Hen housing systems are major investments not only in physical infrastructure, but in labour hours, cost, and worker safety.
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Putting in a hen housing system is a long-term financial commitment. As Rete MacPherson, a farmer outside London, ON puts it:
“Cages don’t last forever. If our cages aren’t done, we’re not really too excited about ripping those cages out and putting new cages in,” (source)
Cage-free:
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Requires more labour
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Lower stocking densities (number of hens per barn)
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Consumer purchasing trends still favour less expensive caged eggs than cage-free eggs
Enriched cages:
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Financially riskier: If enriched cages continue to not be accepted by the public, regulation may change to completely ban caged systems
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Result: Enriched cages may be more attractive to farmers in terms of automation, familiarity, and translational health benefits, but future regulatory uncertainty makes farmers more reluctant to financially commit.
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Additional Considerations
Management
Matching farmer to farm management
Some farmers enjoy working closer with their birds and find cage-free systems more compatible with their management style.
Productivity
A happy hen is a productive hen
“If my birds are not healthy, they don't grow, they need more meds and more feed. That cuts into the little profit I get off them.”
- Reddit comment from an egg farmer
Overall, Canadian Egg Farmers have mixed sentiments towards the transition away from battery cages, with financial considerations at the crux of the concerns.
As for which alternative system is best...
“Each offers its advantages and comes with its costs. If the consumer is prepared to recognize the additional cost, there’s no reason why we can’t continue with these [alternative housing] systems,”
- Bill Revington, New Life Mills Farm General Manager, (source)
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Other Notable Quotes
Tonya Haverkamp installed an enriched cage system at her family farm in 2017. She had this say to other farmers in encouragement: “Enriched cage production is pretty foolproof really. If you’ve raised in conventional cages, this will be no problem.” (source)
Ian McFall (Burnbrae Farms vice-president of foodservice and industrial sales) noted that retailers, notably McDonalds Canada, have followed through on their commitment to transition to cage-free, but couldn’t say the same for everyday consumers: “Due to the less-than-enthusiastic acceptance of free-run by Canadian consumers, at this time, most producers are retooling into enriched colony systems. At Burnbrae Farms, we are making production decisions based on demand.” (source)