Laying Hen End-of-Lay Welfare and Handling

The end of the laying cycle - when hens are removed from production - is a critical welfare moment affecting millions of birds. Improving handling and slaughter practices at this stage matters enormously.

Key Facts

UK laying hens are typically slaughtered at 72-80 weeks of age when production declines
Catching and loading of laying hens for transport to slaughter is a high-risk welfare period
Mechanical harvesting can cause wing and leg fractures; hand catching with good technique is less injurious
Spent hens are less commercially valuable than broilers, reducing incentive for careful handling
Many end-of-lay hens are transported long distances due to limited local processing capacity
Hens with keel bone fractures (affecting 50-80% of flocks) are particularly vulnerable to injury during catching
Some welfare-certified schemes now require specific catching and transport standards for end-of-lay hens

Welfare Considerations

End-of-lay welfare has historically received far less attention than housing system debates despite the acute welfare risks it poses. Catching operations carried out at night by inexperienced teams create high rates of fractures and injuries in birds already compromised by keel bone damage. The commercial low value of spent hens reduces operator incentives for careful handling. Welfare certification that extends throughout the production cycle - including end-of-lay catching, transport, and slaughter - is more meaningful than housing standards alone. Consumer and retailer pressure for full lifecycle welfare standards drives improvement at this neglected stage.

What You Can Do

Support egg certification schemes that include end-of-lay welfare standards explicitly
Raise awareness that egg production welfare extends beyond housing to end-of-life handling
Advocate for mandatory catching and transport standards for end-of-lay hens in welfare legislation
Support Compassion in World Farming campaigns on full lifecycle welfare for laying hens
Reduce egg consumption overall and prioritise certified higher-welfare sources