The situation of the hens would be cruel. Mutilated beaks, plucked birds and living in their own feces are reported.
94.56% of the eggs produced and consumed in the country come from battery cage systems, according to data from an investigation carried out by Animal Protection Ecuador (PAE) together with the Open Wing Alliance. This cage system has already been banned by the European Union due to controversies regarding animal welfare.
The situation of the hens would be cruel, details the study, since they are registered “mutilated beaks, plucked birds, stuck between metal bars and living in their own feces”.
The report also mentions that 94.56% of the more than 15 million hens would be living in these cages, with a space no larger than a sheet of A4 paper. Cristina Alarcón, coordinator of corporate relations at PAE, points out that “the hens that live these systems cannot express their most basic behaviors, which leads the animal to frustration, boredom and stress and predisposes it to suffer different types of diseases”.
Meanwhile, Shady Heredia, coordinator of corporate campaigns for PAE, affirms that a perception survey was carried out to find out if Ecuadorians want to know the origin of their food. There was a wide acceptance of citizenship, says the expert.
This report also includes data on egg production in Ecuador, the controversy regarding the welfare of hens, and the lack of social information regarding the number and methods of killing male baby chickens that are not used in the egg industry.
“There is progress in the way that society looks at animals and we can see it in the commitments of private companies to prevent the unnecessary suffering of these animals. It is also seen in the acceptance of those surveyed to generate laws that prohibit the use of battery cages, which is greater than 76%.”, affirms Heredia.
The PAE Foundation and the Gallinas Libres project made a presentation of the full report and its results through an Instagram Live on Thursday, January 13. (I)
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