The transition from productive laying to end-of-lay (EOL) represents a critical welfare period for commercial laying hens. Decisions made at this stage—including culling timing, transport conditions, and slaughter methods—have significant welfare implications for large numbers of birds.
After 12-18 months of production, laying hens often show reduced body condition due to the metabolic demands of egg production. Common welfare concerns include: severe osteoporosis causing bone fragility and fractures (particularly of keel bone and femur), muscle wasting, feather loss from pecking or cage abrasion, and accumulated health problems. Bone fractures may occur during catching, transport, and hanging at slaughter—with significant fracture rates documented at post-mortem examination.
EOL hens are particularly vulnerable during catching and transport. Catching by mechanical harvesters or manual catching can cause wing and leg fractures. Transport to distant slaughterhouses may involve long journey times, exposure to adverse temperatures, and high stocking densities in crates. Thermal regulation is compromised in birds with poor feathering. Pre-slaughter mortality can be high in compromised birds.
The spent hen market presents economic challenges. Older hens have lower meat quality and value than broilers, making it economically difficult to justify premium slaughter conditions. In some regions, market collapse has led to on-farm culling (killing without transport), which can raise welfare concerns if inappropriate methods are used. Developing markets for EOL hen products (processed meats, soup products) can improve economic incentives for welfare investment.
When market options are unavailable, on-farm culling may be necessary. Approved methods include cervical dislocation (manual or mechanical), captive bolt, and gas killing systems. The welfare of birds killed on-farm depends on operator competence and method efficacy. Regular training and assessment of personnel competence are critical.
Improvements to EOL welfare include: earlier culling before severe condition deterioration, careful catching training to reduce fractures, appropriate transport conditions (temperature, density, journey time), competent slaughter methods, and reduced transport distances. Some producers invest in on-site slaughter facilities to eliminate transport welfare concerns entirely.
Some welfare-focused producers explore rehoming schemes for spent hens, but these are limited in scale. Genetic selection for hens with better bone health and more robust constitutions is being pursued. The development of rapid, on-farm killing systems that are both humane and economically viable would significantly benefit EOL hen welfare.