Denmark bans production of eggs by caged hens

A groundbreaking decision by the Danish Ministry of Food has prohibited the creation of new cage system facilities for laying hens in Denmark from 2023 and ordered all current producers to phase out battery cages within the next twelve years.

The Minister of Food, Rasmus Prehn, had first promised the policy in 2020, and animal protection organization Anima submitted a petition signed by more than 54,000 Danish people calling for it to be implemented on September 13, 2021.

Battery cages are the most common form of housing for laying hens in industrial agricultural settings worldwide. In Denmark, however, the amount of eggs produced in caged systems went down from 61 percent in 2010 to 13 percent in 2021.

Confinement in cages can cause hens immense suffering and frustration. In battery cage systems, each cage houses on average 5 to 10 hens, providing each bird with less space than a standard A4 sheet of paper. The cramped space prevents the chickens from performing natural behaviors such as nesting or spreading their wings completely.

With this groundbreaking decision that will impact the lives of thousands of hens, Denmark sets a great precedent for other countries to act to reduce animal suffering!