S.I. No. 98/2002 - European Communities (Welfare of Laying Hens) Regulations 2002

1. All laying hens shall be inspected by the owner or person in charge of the premises where they are located at least once each day.

2. The sound level shall be minimised and constant and sudden noises on a premises shall be avoided.

3. Ventilation fans, feeding machinery and other equipment shall be constructed located, operated and maintained in a manner that causes the least possible noise.

4. Each building used to keep or rear laying hens shall have light level that are sufficient to allow laying hens to see one another and be seen clearly, to investigate their surroundings visually and show normal levels of activity. Where there is natural light, light apertures shall be placed in a manner that light is distributed evenly within the accommodation.

After the first days of conditioning, lighting shall follow a 24 hour cycle include an uninterrupted period of darkness of approximately eight hours so that the laying hens may rest and avoid problems such as immuno-depression and ocular anomalies and, otherwise, be such as to prevent health and behavioural problems. An adequate period of twilight, when the light is dimmed and which facilitates the laying hens setting down without disturbance or injury, shall be provided.

5. Without prejudice to paragraph 6, parts of buildings, equipment, machinery or other utensils that may come into contact with laying hens shall be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected at regular intervals.

6. On each occasion when depopulation is carried out, parts of buildings equipment; machinery or other utensils that may come into contact with laying hens shall be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected prior to the introduction of a new batch of laying hens.

7. While cages are occupied, they shall be kept satisfactorily clean.

8. Droppings must be removed as often as necessary and dead laying hens must be removed when found or, at a minimum, once a day.

9. Each cage shall be constructed in a manner that prevents a laying hen from escaping.

10. Accommodation that comprises two or more tiers of cages must have devices (or other appropriate measures must be taken) to facilitate inspection of each tier and removal of laying hens without difficulty.

11. A cage door must be designed and be of such dimensions that an adult laying hen may be removed without unnecessary suffering or sustaining injury.

12. Mutilation of a laying hen shall, without prejudice to point 19 to the Annex of Directive 98/58/EC, be prohibited.

13. Beak trimming may only be undertaken by trained and competent personnel and the beaks of laying hens over 9 days old shall not be trimmed.

GIVEN

under my Official Seal,

20 March 2002

Joe Walsh

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation)

These Regulations specify the accommodation and other welfare requirements for keeping and rearing laying hens.

1

O.J. L No. 203 of 3.8.1999, p.53.

2

O.J. L No. 30 of 31.1.2002, p.44.

15. These Regulations are in addition to and not in substitution for —

(a) the Protection of Animals Act 1911 (1911, C. 27) as amended by the

Protection of Animals (Amendment Act 1965

(No. 10 of 1965),

(b) the

Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes Act 1984

(No. 13 of 1984), and

(c) the European Communities (Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes) Regulations 2000 (

S.I. No. 127 of 2000

)

Revocation

16. The Care and Welfare of Poultry (Laying Hens) Regulations, 1990 (

S.I. No. 238 of 1990

) are revoked.

SCHEDULE

I, Joe Walsh, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by

section 3

of the

European Communities Act 1972

(No. 27 of 1972), and for the purpose of giving effect to Council Directive No. 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999

1

and Commission Directive 2002/4/EC of 30 January 2002

2

, hereby make the following regulations:-

Citation