Slaughter of Spent Laying Hens | Animal Welfare Hub

Laying hens at end of production life are often killed by methods that cause more welfare harm than those used for broilers, despite their greater age and sentience development.

Key Facts

Approximately 300 million laying hens are slaughtered annually in the US when egg production declines
Many spent hens are gassed in modified atmosphere systems or shredded alive in macerators while still day-old
Low body weight makes spent hens less economically valuable than broilers, reducing slaughter welfare investment
Some facilities use high-expansion foam to rapidly render hens unconscious before killing
Transportation to distant processing facilities involves welfare harms equivalent to those described for broilers

Welfare Considerations

Spent hen welfare often receives less attention than broiler welfare despite similar cognitive capabilities. The economic pressure is reversed: spent hens have negative value, creating incentives to minimize slaughter cost rather than welfare investment. High-expansion foam and controlled atmosphere systems offer welfare-consistent solutions that deserve broader regulatory requirement.

What You Can Do

Support regulations requiring welfare-audited slaughter methods for spent laying hens equal to those for broilers
Choose eggs from producers that publicly disclose their spent hen disposal methods
Advocate for research and development of economically viable alternative uses for spent hens to create value that justifies welfare investment