At the end of their laying cycle, hens face transport and slaughter or on-farm killing. The welfare standards at this stage of production are often lower than during laying, yet the numbers of animals affected are enormous.
The welfare of hens at end of lay is a neglected aspect of egg production. After 12-16 months of laying, hens are physiologically depleted, with weakened bones from calcium mobilisation for eggshell production, meaning fractures during catching and transport are common. Transport to slaughter in spent hens carries higher mortality rates than in broilers due to this fragility. Slaughter plant line speeds optimised for broilers may not be appropriate for the different body shape and size of spent hens. On-farm killing with appropriate methods can eliminate transport welfare harms for spent hens, but is not yet widely adopted. Consumer willingness to buy spent hen products — which are nutritionally excellent — creates a market that can support better end-of-lay welfare practices.