Every year, approximately 400 million laying hens are farmed in the European Union, more than half of which are forced to live in overcrowded cages in a space the size of an A4 sheet of paper. With a total of 15 billion eggs per year, Italy is among Europe's leading producers. This means that around 20 million hens in our country are raised in cages, although the percentage of alternative systems has been growing strongly in recent years.

Although many companies and large-scale retailers have made concrete commitments against the use of cages, the famous fast food chain KFC and the Rome-based supermarket chain Gruppo Gros have yet to distance themselves from this type of cruel and outdated farming, which is now rejected by the majority of consumers. For this reason, Animal Equality's request to these brands is clear: to do their part for animals by making a public commitment to stop sourcing from caged hen farms.

What happens to laying hens kept in cages

Crammed together with their companions in cages so small and crowded that they are unable to express any of their natural behaviours, hens behind bars are condemned to live an atrocious existence. Parts of their bodies frequently become trapped in the cage walls, causing broken bones, deformities and loss of plumage. Some of these animals, too exhausted or unable to move, even end up losing their lives, trampled by their companions.

Often stacked on multiple levels inside a shed, the cages also force animals into excessive proximity, increasing the likelihood of disease spreading and creating harmful environmental conditions, further worsening air quality.

In particular, cages force hens — naturally social animals — to live in isolation, preventing them from developing normal species-specific behaviours and lasting relationships with one another, as well as from organising collective activities such as foraging. Severely restricted in both vertical and horizontal movement, hens are packed together in high densities with no possibility of moving away from more aggressive individuals or choosing their group companions.

Living crammed together, hens have no possibility of moving freely or taking exercise. As a result of this condition, they suffer serious health problems such as osteoporosis and bone disorders, as well as severe physical and psychological stress. Perhaps the most disturbing consequence, however, is the invasion of parasites on the hens' bodies. In nature, they would instead have an effective strategy for defending themselves against these infestations — the so-called "dust baths" — which consist of crouching in the earth and using their wings to raise dust. In doing so, the dust settles on their feathers and traps the parasites, allowing the animals to rid themselves of them by shaking their bodies and causing them to fall to the ground.

EU-level directives and the End the Cage Age campaign

The EU ban on the use of battery cages came into force in 2012, thanks to the awareness-raising work carried out by numerous animal welfare organisations. On the other hand, however, the use of so-called "enriched" cages persists for more than half of laying hens, broiler chickens and pullets.

Although recent data show that around 210 million hens in the European Union are kept in so-called "enriched" cages, these do not constitute a satisfactory alternative capable of genuinely improving the living conditions of hens on farms. Such cages were designed to better meet their behavioural needs, which are nonetheless still very limited due to the restrictions caused by the lack of vertical space and the high numbers of animals housed within them.

In Europe, some countries have already chosen to make a difference. In Luxembourg, for example, "enriched" cages for laying hens are banned, as they are in Austria, while in Germany the ban will come into force from 2025. Numerous European supermarkets are also switching to eggs from cage-free farms.

To call on the European Commission to eliminate cages from farms for hens and other animals raised for food, the End the Cage Age campaign was launched in 2018. Born from a European citizens' initiative, it was supported by more than 170 organisations — including Animal Equality — a cross-party group of Members of the European Parliament, the European Committee of the Regions, a group of more than 140 scientists, representatives of the business community, organisations working to protect the environment, health and agriculture, as well as veterinary students and veterinarians.

Animal Equality's campaigns and public opinion

In the face of the tremendous and unjustified suffering to which laying hens are subjected, Animal Equality is calling on major brands to take a clear stance to put a stop to the practices that cause it.

In the absence of a global cage-free policy, KFC and the multinational that owns it, Yum! Brands, demonstrate that they have yet to officially distance themselves from caged hen farming. And yet, as consumer demand for eggs from farms that do not confine hens in cages has grown, numerous leading companies in the sector have said goodbye to cages through a public commitment valid at a global level. Among these are Unilever, Nestlé, Aldi, InterContinental Hotels, Sodexo, Mondelez, Restaurant brand international, Compass Group, shake shack, Marche famose, Costa coffee and Barilla.

As regards large-scale retail, organisations such as Carrefour, Pam Panorama, Coop and Bennet have already taken a stance against cage farming and combined systems — a farming method entirely comparable to cages in terms of animal welfare — thereby discouraging the use of practices of which millions of hens are victims every year.

To put an end to cages, following numerous appeals that went unheeded, from 10 to 16 May Animal Equality took to the streets in Rome alongside its volunteers, protesting against Gros's silence and calling on it to make a commitment, as other peers have done, in favour of cage-free measures.

It is clear how similar decisions by KFC and Gros could make a difference for several hundred thousand hens — 145,000 per year in the case of Gros alone — and finally give voice to the demands of the millions of Italian and European consumers who are sensitive to the living conditions of animals on farms and who call for transparency from companies.

According to the Eurobarometer, public opinion is broadly in favour of improving the welfare of farmed animals. Indeed, 94 per cent of the European population considers the protection of animal welfare on farms a matter of fundamental importance, and 82 per cent calls for better protection of farmed animals.

Standing by and doing nothing is no longer an option. The petitions launched by Animal Equality targeting KFC – available here – and Gruppo Gros – available here – aim to put a stop to a farming system that continues to represent an enormous cost for animals, the environment and human beings.