Each year around 12 billion eggs are consumed in the United Kingdom. These eggs come from specifically bred laying hens that produce up to 250 eggs per year.
Free range laying hens
Caged laying hens
Male laying hens
Birth
Natural life expectancy
Farming Practices
Male Chick Culling
Male chicks are killed by gassing or blending because they are not useful to the industry
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Unnatural Egg Output
Hens egg yields are dangerously high due to years of selective breeding
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Unsuitable Shed Density
Free range hens are packed into sheds at a rate of up to 13 birds per square meter of space
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Beak Mutilations
Hens have a portion of their beaks forcibly removed to prevent them pecking each other in confined conditions
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Bone Fractures
Hens bones deteriorate due to the increased rate of egg production leaching calcium from their bodies
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Feather Loss
Hens lose their feathers due to being pecked, stress, parasites and disease
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Unsuitable Flock Size
Hens cannot exhibit their natural "pecking order" behaviour because flock sizes are too large
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Confined Cages
Hens spend their entire lives in small cages with minimal movement and stimulation
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Poor Outdoor Access
Free range hens outdoor access is limited or poor quality
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Vent Prolapses
Hens inner tissues protrude outside of their body due to excessive and large egg production
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Early Deaths
Hens die before their allocated 72 weeks of egg production is up
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Foot Rot
Hens feet are burnt by faeces that build up on uncleaned floors and surfaces
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Unsuitable Transport
Hens are transported during hot temperatures that are known to cause distress and suffering
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Non-stun Slaughter
Hens throats are cut without first being stunned in an electric water bath or gas chamber
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