Five-star confinement for laying hens! Can play and sharpen claws Humane breeding

According to statistics, there are currently about 36.5 million laying hens artificially raised in Taiwan each year. In order to save costs and facilitate management, most laying hens are raised in "grid cages". Laying hens are kept in high density in iron cages with small space for movement and poor growth environment, which has been criticized by animal protection groups. On the 4th, a business operator announced a "Five-Star Egg-laying Chicken Confinement Center", which introduced the EU model and used humane breeding equipment to provide egg-laying chickens with a good growth environment. The retail price of an egg is about NT$10, which is three times more expensive than traditional eggs. This will test consumers' willingness to purchase, but it will also write a new milestone for Taiwan's chicken farming. (Video/provided by Kaohsiung Shi'an Ranch)

Chen Baoji, Chairman of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, was invited to attend the "Laying Chicken Humane and Friendly Livestock SGS" certification ceremony this morning. He pointed out that by encouraging egg farmers to adopt humane farming practices and requiring that all types of eggs be labeled with farming methods, and then adopting SGS and Taiwan Agricultural Standards Institute certification for humane and animal-friendly laying hens, in addition to hoping to improve the country's overall egg-laying chicken farming environment and international competitiveness and align with international standards, he also hopes that through a complete production source, consumers will be able to eat eggs more safely and healthily when purchasing them.

Chen Baoji emphasized that livestock products have always been one of Taiwan's main exports. If they can meet international standards and increase export opportunities, they can also expand the scale of Taiwan's agricultural practitioners and make young people willing to join this industry. This is the first time that Taiwanese businesses have sought experience from the European Union, representing Taiwan's livestock industry in line with international standards.

In addition to demonstrations by industry players, the Council of Agriculture's research unit has also begun studying whether foreign egg-laying chicken equipment is suitable for the domestic climate and breeding methods. After more than a year and a half of testing, if positive results are obtained, the Council of Agriculture will begin to promote humane breeding methods so that other Taiwanese operators can also improve their existing egg-laying chicken growth patterns.

The egg-laying chicken farm approved by the EU this time has special research on the size of the cages, and also has spaces such as lounges, game areas, egg-laying rooms, and claw-grinding areas. According to the EU's egg-laying chicken welfare cage regulations, each hen must have at least 750 square centimeters of space to move around in. In addition, there are clear standards and specifications for items such as aisle width and feed trough length.