RSPCA Assured has announced it will be extending the pause for the start date of the new RSPCA laying hen welfare standards for a total of nine months until 1 February 2025.
The extended pause follows RSPCA Assured’s original announcement in March this year, that it would be pausing the implementation of the standards for three months (from May 2024 to August 2024), in response to member and industry feedback.
When the plans were announced in November, producers said the new standards, which include a requirement for natural daylight, would be costly and in some cases – such as the requirement to install verandas on barn buildings – physically impossible.
In January, RSPCA made some concessions, for example it amended the scope of the standards, extending the timeline for natural daylight by one year to 1 January 2031, and removing the veranda requirement for refurbished and new member free-range systems.
Kelly Grellier, interim chief operations officer at RSPCA Assured, said: “Our members are fundamental in helping us improve hen welfare. Therefore, ensuring we listen to them and provide proper support to help them meet the new standards is our top priority. To do this effectively, we have to be flexible. Extending the current pause until 2025 will give us more time to talk to more members and offer more support tailored to their specific needs.”
Over the coming months, the RSPCA and RSPCA Assured will be offering in person meetings to their members.