Over 350,000 laying hens committed to cage-free housing in Ghana

Daniel Abiliba; Jacob Ayang; EMMANUEL D. PIIRU; Animal Welfare League

This is a linkpost for https://www.animalwelfareleague.org/blog/over-350000-laying-hens-committed-to-cage-free-housing

The Animal Welfare League is steadfastly committed to fostering a society that prioritizes the welfare of animals. One of our key initiatives involves collaborating with egg producers and various stakeholders within the poultry industry to establish comprehensive guidelines for farming practices that place animal welfare at the core, aiming at eliminating cruel practices such as battery cages among others. By setting these standards, we aim to transform Ghana into a nation that is averse to bad animal welfare practices.

In pursuit of these objectives, we have identified and implemented a series of minimum standards for poultry farming currently observed by farmers in the National Cage-Free Farmers’ Network since the beginning of 2023. These standards are grounded in scientific principles and research that underline their significance in ensuring the well-being of chickens.

Loose Housing Systems: Chickens should be housed in loose housing systems, such as aviaries or open-floor systems, at all times. This housing style offers several benefits to the chickens, including increased mobility and space to engage in their natural behaviors.
Room for Natural Behaviors: This requirement is crucial to ensure that birds can express their natural behaviors, which are essential for their physical and psychological well-being.
Access to Appropriate Littered Areas: Providing chickens with access to an appropriate littered area is vital for their comfort and health.
Suitable Nest Access: All laying hens must have access to suitable nests. Nests provide a safe and secure environment for hens to lay their eggs.
Regular Health and Welfare Monitoring: Monitoring includes assessing the birds' physical condition, behavior, and overall well-being.
Enrichment: Enrichment refers to the provision of objects or activities that stimulate the birds' mental and physical faculties. Enrichment is scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve the overall welfare of birds.

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF FARMERS AND LAYER HENS ON NATIONAL CAGE FREE FARMERS’ NETWORK

Regional Distribution of Farmers
There is a total of ninety-three (93) farmers signed unto Animal Welfare League’s national cage-free farmers’ network and below are the regional variations.

Regional Distribution of Layer Hens

The reported current production of the network is 369,110 hens, which is a sum of individual farm production. These layer hens are distributed across production regions as highlighted below.

Categorization of Farm Size

The size of individual farms in the network varies in the number of hens and below is a display of these variations making up the network.

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TomBillSep 17 20233

Great news! Thanks so much for this awesome work 🙂 I’d be interested to hear:

What convinced farmers to sign up?
How long is the expected timeline to full transition to cage free? Will this be supported by The Animal Welfare League?
Is the commitment legally enforceable? or is this more of an MOU (memorandum of understanding) style of agreement?
Do you have plans for monitoring farmer’s progression on the commitment? Do have any expectation on follow-through rates?

Jacob Ayang Sep 17 20234

Hi @TomBill, these are really great questions. Below are some details that will hopefully give you some clarity on our work

Animal welfare is significantly neglected in our region, with many farmers prioritizing profit over the well-being of their birds. one compelling tool we utilize is the finding of a research study, which indicates that consumers are increasingly ethically conscious about animal welfare and are willing to pay extra for cage-free products. Additionally, farmers included in our cage-free directory serve as a valuable resource for corporate companies adopting cage-free policies, providing them with a readily available market they can source from. These efforts, in conjunction with our direct outreach programs and workshops that emphasise on the importance of improved welfare practices as such practices directly impact both animal and public health are what convinces farmers to sign up.
All farmers listed in our Cage-free Directory are 100% cage-free and adhere to our minimum welfare standards. We achieve this by collaborating closely with them, conducting individual farm visits, and offering technical support as needed. However, there remains a group of farmers who still employ cages and are looking to transition, and we are actively working towards transitioning them by the end of the upcoming year.
Currently, the commitments take the form of of MOU's, as dictated by industry norms in our region. Nevertheless, we are actively pursuing measures to makes these commitments legally binding. With increasing industry support and other influential factors, we intend to scale-up our advocacy for regulations prohibiting the use of battery cages in Ghana.
As part of the MOU, Animal Welfare League conducts two annual farm visits, one announced and one unannounced, to ensure that farmers maintain the minimum welfare standards. Additionally, farmers are required to provide yearly reports on the status of animal welfare and their housing systems on their respective farms to maintain their position on our directory.

Jessica WenSep 14 20231

This is fantastic news!