Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    • October 2023
    • Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    • September 2023
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
Twitter LinkedIn
Podcast
Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    1. June 2025
    2. 2025 Innovation supplement
    3. May 2025
    4. April 2025
    5. March 2025
    6. 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    7. February 2025
    8. January 2025
    9. December 2024
    10. November 2024
    11. October 2024
    12. September 2024
    13. 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    14. August 2024
    15. 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    16. July 2024
    17. 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    18. June 2024
    19. 2024 Innovation supplement
    20. Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    21. May 2024
    22. April 2024
    23. March 2024
    24. February 2024
    25. January 2024
    26. December 2023
    27. November 2023
    28. Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    29. October 2023
    30. Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    31. September 2023
    Featured

    Poultry Business – June 2025 issue

    By Chloe RyanJune 9, 2025
    Recent

    Poultry Business – June 2025 issue

    June 9, 2025

    Poultry Business – 2025 Innovation supplement

    June 9, 2025

    Poultry Business – May 2025 issue

    May 15, 2025
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
Poultry News
News

Free Range Egg Producers condemn RSPCA’s new Freedom Foods standards

Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanApril 20, 20172 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

BFREPA said the RSPCA’s decision to press ahead with the implementation of aerial perching on its Freedom Foods free range egg units could be detrimental to bird welfare.
 
Members of the assurance scheme who have flat deck systems have been told to install 8cm of perching per bird by August 2018.
 
Perching was one of a number of proposed changes tabled by Freedom Foods last July but implementation was delayed after BFREPA raised serious concerns over the lack of a proper consultation process.
 
BFREPA’s chief executive Robert Gooch said: “We are opposed to this requirement on a number of levels with hen welfare being our primary concern.
 
“The evidence we have seen from Bristol University shows that fitting large amounts of aerial perching can lead to an increase in keel bone damage to hens. It’s a welfare concern that we would expect any organisation – particularly the RSPCA – to recognise.
 
“At a practical level this will also cause huge difficulties for those retrofitting perches to sheds that weren’t designed for them and are likely to hamper daily management procedures.”
 
A number of BFREPA’s members have carried out voluntary trials to measure the impact of perching in commercial situations.
 
They have found that installing more than 6cm of perching per bird has had no measurable benefit for the birds.
 
Gooch said: “We have offered to carry out additional research with the RSPCA to find an amount of perching that improves bird welfare. That invitation remains open.”
 
Between 30% and 40% of BFREPA’s members are understood to be affected by the changes – approximately 250 producers.      
 
“Producers using flat deck systems are already competing in a tough market and are generally operating at a smaller scale compared to multi-tier producers,” Gooch said.
 
“Ramping up additional costs and requirements on these producers is only going to add pressure to these businesses and dissuade them from investing in their futures.”
 
Gooch added that he was pleased that the RSPCA has listened to BFREPA’s concerns and withdrawn the requirements for specific perching configurations on multi-tier systems.

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticleTonnes of unchilled poultry found in overweight van in Sussex
Next Article Councillors, surveyors, planners and agents urged to have their say in NFU survey
Chloe Ryan

Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

Read Similar Stories

Feed & Nutrition

Siemens partners with Entocycle to digitalise insect farming industry

June 16, 20252 Mins Read
News

RSPCA Assured to host free webinar on new laying hen welfare standards

June 16, 20252 Mins Read
News

Mixed picture for poultry in Defra’s latest farming income report

June 9, 20251 Min Read
Latest News

Ranjit Boparan buys out Hook2Sisters

June 16, 2025

Siemens partners with Entocycle to digitalise insect farming industry

June 16, 2025

RSPCA Assured to host free webinar on new laying hen welfare standards

June 16, 2025
Sponsored Content

Navigating Sustainability in Egg Production: Practical Steps for Producers

June 1, 2025

Maintain stable and continuous coccidiosis control amidst stocking density reductions

November 1, 2024
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • Farmers Weekly
  • AA Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • Pig World

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.