Sir, - Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) is delighted at the recent EU decision to ban battery cages for egg-laying hens by the year 2012. At present, in the Republic of Ireland, around 1.8 million hens are confined in battery cages where they cannot even fully stretch their wings. These hens will spend around 12 months imprisoned in the tiny barren battery cage.
Whilst welcoming this major step forward for animal welfare, it is lamentable that over the next 13 years some 23 million laying hens will suffer enormously in Irish battery cages. We are hopeful that the Irish public will decide not to wait that long and will choose freedom for hens today. Indeed, in a recent CIWF/IMS National Opinion Poll, 83 per cent of those surveyed said they would be willing to pay a small amount more for eggs produced without the use of battery cages.
So, why is it that people are still buying eggs from caged hens? Unfortunately, shoppers are still denied the opportunity to make a fully informed choice about the eggs they buy. It is quite common to see battery eggs labelled "farm fresh" or "country fresh". Isn't it about time we called a spade a spade?
We are calling on egg-packers and supermarket chains to label battery egg (largely and clearly) as "Eggs from Caged Hens". In the meantime, we are asking Irish shoppers to "beat the ban and go free-range now!". - Yours, etc., Aoife Ni Fhearghail,
CIWF, Ireland, Hanover St., Cork.