Nearly 75% Of British Shoppers Incorrectly Think Farmed Chickens Are No Longer Caged

According to a new poll, nearly three-quarters of British shoppers incorrectly believe that farmed chickens are no longer caged in the UK.

Viva!, a leading animal rights campaign group, conducted a poll of 2,000 members of the public earlier this month. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed were unaware that “enriched” colony cages are still widely used in the UK.

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According to Viva!, many consumers believed that the 2012 EU-wide ban on traditional battery cages eradicated the practice entirely, but many old-fashioned factory farming systems were simply replaced by so-called enriched cages.

A single enriched colony cage can hold up to 80 birds, and under current guidelines, each animal is given a usable space smaller than an A4 piece of paper.

Approximately 7.3 million egg-laying hens are trapped inside enriched colony systems at any one time. These animals produce 17 percent of the UK’s eggs while unable to see natural light, perform natural behaviors, or stretch their wings.

Katie Robinson, Viva!’s campaigns manager, said, “We asked 2,000 members of the public a simple question – and in doing so we’ve highlighted a deeply worrying disconnect between what consumers believe to be true and the realities of animal farming.”

Viva! conducted the new poll as part of its “Cracked” campaign, which aims to raise awareness of caged hens. The campaign also intends to maintain pressure on the government to follow through on its commitment to phase out enriched colony cages following extensive industry lobbying and a delayed public consultation.

While most British people may be unaware that enriched colony cages exist, 94 percent of those who are aware of the practice believe it is “unacceptable.”

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‘Consumers are denied the information they need to make informed decisions. That must change’

Last year, a report by The Animal Law Foundation found that “pervasive” misinformation about the food system affects British people’s perception of meat, dairy, and eggs. Previous research found that more than half of Brits are unaware that cows must be impregnated each year in order to produce milk.

“Brits consume 14.5 billion eggs a year, yet most have no idea how they are produced,” Robinson said. “That’s no accident. The egg industry shouts about supposedly idyllic free range farms and completely omits the hens trapped in cages. A general lack of transparency across the whole supply chain is bolstered by concerted efforts by the egg industry to obscure the facts. Consumers are denied the information they need to make informed decisions. That must change.”

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