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RMS FOR LAYING HENS

Below are the Responsible Minimum Standards for laying hens.

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Mitigation standards

2.1	At least one nest box for every six hens or 1 m2 of nesting substrate per 120 hens for group nesting must be provided.
2.2	A perch area of at least 18 cm of perch space per hen must be provided.
2.3	When hens are enclosed in a house, whether barn raised or free range, when housed indoors at night or during inclement weather, a minimum of one third of the available floor space must be covered with litter for comfort and to enable dustbathing and foraging activities.
2.4	The ammonia concentration at bird height must be no more than 20 ppm.
2.5	Enrichment materials must be provided to enable proper foraging and other natural activities, e.g., scattered grains and hay bales, for all stages of production.
2.6	Hens must have an uninterrupted period of darkness of at least 8 hours per day.

Mitigation standards

5.1	As end-of-lay hens are fragile and prone to bone fractures, they should be euthanized on the farm using a non-aversive gas.
5.2	In cases where they are transported for slaughter, end-of-lay hens should be caught gently without inverting the birds, and the journey should be no more than four hours.
5.3	Killing day-old male chicks should be avoided, e.g., by rearing them for meat or by the identification and destruction of males while still in the hatching egg and before sentience has developed.

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