Lobby UK Government
Send an eCard to Defra
UK legislation bans beak trimming in laying hens from 2011, however this ban is now under threat. A recent Opinion by the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) recommends that the ban on beak trimming should be repealed. Compassion in World Farming are concerned that Defra may act upon FAWC's recommendation, resulting in millions of hens having to endure this painful mutilation.
Scientific literature argues the correct way to prevent feather pecking and cannibalism in hens is to keep them in good conditions and to select for birds that are less prone to feather pecking.
Take action now by sending our e-card to Animal Welfare Minister, Lord Rooker, urging Defra to allow the ban on beak trimming to come into force on the planned date of 1 January 2011.
Dear Lord Rooker,
I urge you not to act upon FAWC's recommendation to repeal the ban on the beak trimming of hens which is due to come into force in January 2011. It would be a highly retrograde step to revoke this important welfare reform.
When Defra banned beak trimming in 2002, it accepted the scientific argument that the correct way to prevent feather pecking and cannibalism is not to beak trim the birds, but to keep them in good conditions and to select for birds that are less prone to feather pecking and cannibalism. I urge Defra to adhere to this reasoning and to maintain the 2011 commencement date for the ban on beak trimming.