Spent Hen Welfare After Laying Cycle

When commercial laying hens reach the end of their productive laying period, they face difficult welfare outcomes, from live export to slaughter facilities with limited stunning standards.

Key Facts

Commercial hens are typically slaughtered at 72-78 weeks when egg production declines, despite a natural lifespan of 5-10 years
Around 500 million spent hens are processed annually in the UK, EU, and US combined
Spent hens have fragile, osteoporotic bones due to calcium depletion from intensive laying, leading to high fracture rates at slaughter
Many spent hens are exported live to countries with lower slaughter welfare standards
Controlled atmosphere killing (CAK) with nitrogen or argon is considered more humane than shackle and bleed methods
Some retailers and restaurants have adopted spent hen sourcing policies to create market incentive for better treatment

Welfare Considerations

Spent hens arrive at slaughter having already experienced a lifetime of production stress. Their fragile bones mean handling and transport cause painful fractures. Shackling on processing lines causes further injury. The economic low value of spent hens discourages investment in higher-welfare slaughter methods. Many end up in pet food or low-value rendering, creating little market pressure for improvement.

What You Can Do

Support brands and retailers committed to higher-welfare spent hen slaughter standards
Advocate for mandatory controlled atmosphere killing in your country's poultry regulations
Choose eggs from producers with transparent end-of-life welfare commitments
Back organizations campaigning for better transport and slaughter standards for spent hens
Ask your supermarket what happens to hens at the end of their productive life