Laying Hen End of Lay: Welfare at the End of the Laying Period

Laying hens at end of lay are typically caught, transported, and slaughtered in ways that cause significant suffering. Improving end-of-lay welfare requires better catching, transport, and slaughter practices.

Key Facts

Commercial laying hens are slaughtered at 72-80 weeks of age when production becomes uneconomical
Catching by hand at night causes acute fear and injury — wing and leg fractures are common
Long transport journeys expose spent hens to thermal stress, hunger, thirst, and physical trauma
Spent hens have low economic value, creating commercial pressure to reduce slaughter costs at welfare's expense
More humane controlled atmosphere killing (CAK) systems are available but not universally adopted
Some producers sell spent hens directly to consumers for home cooking — reducing supply chain welfare risks

Welfare Considerations

End-of-lay welfare represents the final welfare chapter in the laying hen's life, and it is frequently the worst. The combination of mechanical or rough manual catching, transport in poorly ventilated vehicles, and slaughter in systems designed for faster-growing commercial poultry rather than the lighter spent hen creates a welfare cascade. Spent hens have fragile bones from high calcium demands of laying — fracture rates during catching can exceed 30%. The economic marginality of spent hens means welfare improvements require external pressure rather than commercial incentive. Regulations requiring CAK, improved catching training, and transport standards specifically addressing spent hens are welfare-positive interventions whose cost falls on the producing industry.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for regulated, humane catching and slaughter standards for spent laying hens
Advocate for controlled atmosphere killing requirements for end-of-lay poultry
Choose eggs from producers with stated end-of-lay welfare commitments
Donate to laying hen welfare organisations campaigning for end-of-lay improvements
Engage with supermarkets about their requirements for end-of-lay welfare in egg supply chains