Laying Hen End-of-Lay Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

At the end of their productive laying period, hens face one of the poorest-managed welfare transitions in commercial egg production, with transport and slaughter often poorly controlled.

Key Facts

Commercial laying hens are typically slaughtered at 72-80 weeks when production declines
End-of-lay hens are often physically depleted from high-production strains' calcium demands
Their bones are fragile from the physiological demands of egg production, increasing injury risk during catching
End-of-lay hens are lower commercial value than broilers, reducing economic incentive for welfare investment
Some commercial egg producers have explored longer productive lives through moulting programmes
On-farm killing by trained staff is an alternative to transport for small flock end-of-lay management

Welfare Considerations

End-of-lay welfare represents a critical failure point in commercial egg production. Hens that have produced eggs for over a year often have depleted bone density, feather cover losses, and lowered physiological resilience - yet they face the same intensive catching, transport, and slaughter process as broilers in better condition. The low commercial value of spent hens reduces economic pressure for welfare improvement. Advocating for better end-of-lay standards is one of the most impactful areas for egg welfare improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose eggs from producers with explicit end-of-lay welfare commitments
Advocate for end-of-lay welfare standards to be included in egg certification schemes
Support farm animal welfare organisations working specifically on end-of-lay standards
Raise awareness that egg production involves end-of-lay slaughter of all laying hens