How do you think the RSPCA Assured work balances good cop/bad cop when working with industry?
I saw recent improved standards were pulled due to farmers’ backlash. The issues were on things like granting more time to provide natural light for hens (now moved to 2031!) and it has removed the requirement for verandas, which are hugely valued by hens and really help with things like reducing feather pecking. To me this suggests farmers hold a lot of power over a scheme that should be ambitious and demanding for animals.
I guess one might say that you need to keep farmers on side, but I’m not sure I find this satisfying. Things should be practical but verandas are not that huge of an ask, especially when current standards allow other welfare insults like male chicks to be culled and permitting beak trimming. Also I find it hard to imagine RSPCA farmers will move to cage systems in the event that your asks are too much, so I do believe you have some power.
I think I have covered the standards setting process above (JBentham’s question), but please do ask if you would like any more information. In terms of the laying hen standard, we have retained the requirement to provide natural daylight, but permitted an additional 12 months for this to be achieved. We have committed to doing an in-depth review of installing verandas on free-range systems. We still require verandas to be installed for all barn systems by 2030. The original standards concerning free range producers required them to install verandas new builds and building undergoing major refurbishments. It’s only these two requirements, which would have affected a minority, that have been redacted (pending the review).
We agree with you about the welfare benefits verandas can provide and it is still our intention to progress with these, but we have committed to doing a review with the industry to see what the potential challenges and barriers may be (so we understand these better and can consider solutions to these) and then progress depending on the outcome of that review
How do you think the RSPCA Assured work balances good cop/bad cop when working with industry?
I saw recent improved standards were pulled due to farmers’ backlash. The issues were on things like granting more time to provide natural light for hens (now moved to 2031!) and it has removed the requirement for verandas, which are hugely valued by hens and really help with things like reducing feather pecking. To me this suggests farmers hold a lot of power over a scheme that should be ambitious and demanding for animals.
I guess one might say that you need to keep farmers on side, but I’m not sure I find this satisfying. Things should be practical but verandas are not that huge of an ask, especially when current standards allow other welfare insults like male chicks to be culled and permitting beak trimming. Also I find it hard to imagine RSPCA farmers will move to cage systems in the event that your asks are too much, so I do believe you have some power.
How are decisions like this made? Do you see any potential threats to laying hen welfare due to the power that industry seems to have within the scheme? I guess those new standards were put in place for a good reason—how were the costs/benefits of keeping them assessed? Article here—https://www.farminguk.com/news/rspca-assured-revises-new-laying-hen-welfare-standards-after-concern_64034.html
Thanks!
I think I have covered the standards setting process above (JBentham’s question), but please do ask if you would like any more information. In terms of the laying hen standard, we have retained the requirement to provide natural daylight, but permitted an additional 12 months for this to be achieved. We have committed to doing an in-depth review of installing verandas on free-range systems. We still require verandas to be installed for all barn systems by 2030. The original standards concerning free range producers required them to install verandas new builds and building undergoing major refurbishments. It’s only these two requirements, which would have affected a minority, that have been redacted (pending the review).
We agree with you about the welfare benefits verandas can provide and it is still our intention to progress with these, but we have committed to doing a review with the industry to see what the potential challenges and barriers may be (so we understand these better and can consider solutions to these) and then progress depending on the outcome of that review