Husbandry of laying hens

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Floor keeping, which is used for 62 percent of hens, has become the main system among those currently in use in Germany. Free-range and organic husbandry systems account for 14 and 7 percent of hens respectively. Around 16.5 percent of hens are kept in so-called small group housing systems with perches, nests and litter area.

However, due to formal reasons, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled small-group husbandry to be unconstitutional in October 2010. The respective provisions can only be applied until 31 March 2012. The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) thus presented a new ordinance for the revision of laying-hen husbandry. New small-group housing systems were to no longer be admissible, existing holdings were to be given protection until 2035. In September 2011 the Bundesrat rejected this ordinance without proposing an alternative scheme. Husbandry in small groups thus remains admissible for the time being.

Husbandry in conventional (so-called unenriched cages) without perches, nests and litter areas and with less space than in small-group housing systems has been banned in Germany for nearly two years now. This is also supposed to be implemented at EU level on 1st January 2012. Currently, however, the full implementation of the ban has been delayed in some EU member states.

In this context, the Federal Government strongly supports the change to other types of husbandry being completed within the stipulated time limit. If the European rules were not fully implemented this would represent a step back for animal welfare. During the Council of Agriculture Ministers recently held in Brussels, Federal Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner clearly stated: “The ban on keeping laying hens in conventional cages is a major step forwards for animal welfare. Germany abolished battery hen caging two years earlier than was required by EU legislation. The other member states need to follow now, without any exception."

"All EU member states need to complete the phasing-out of conventional laying hen husbandry by the prescribed deadline of the end of 2011. This is what was agreed from the start. We must not give ground in European animal welfare.” The Minister continued by saying: “Holdings which have abolished conventional cage husbandry as required must not be put at an economic disadvantage”.

Marketing and labelling of eggs

In Germany, laying hen husbandry in conventional cages has been banned since 1 January 2010. In the EU this ban only applies from 1 January 2012. The marketing of eggs from conventional cages will then be banned in the entire EU, and the ban will also apply to marketing within the individual member states and to the selling of such eggs for further processing.

Food retailers in Germany decided some time ago to only continue to market eggs from floor-keeping, free-range and organic systems. Hence it is already very difficult for final consumers to purchase class 3 whole eggs.