Our role

The state and territory member Societies provide services to animals in need through their shelters and inspectorates. In the national office, RSPCA Australia works to influence animal welfare policy, practice and legislation across the country
Go to Our role

Key issues

The RSPCA advocates for the welfare of animals across a number of industries, issues and platforms. Help from our supporters is important to progress change. Working together is key.
Go to Key issues
take action live sheep export alternate
Priority issue
Australia is closer than it has ever…
Live sheep export

Support us

Whether you're an individual or a business, there are multiple ways you can support the RSPCA
Go to Support us
An animal in the RSPCA care being cared for by an RSPCA vet
Donate now to support your local RSPCA and make a difference to animal welfare across Australia
Donate

About

The RSPCA is an independent, community-based charity providing animal care and protection services across the country.
Go to About
about us national statistics
Read our National Statistics
Compiled on a national basis by RSPCA…
Annual statistics

Adopt

By choosing adoption, you’ll not only have the chance to make a friend for life, but you’ll be giving an animal a second chance and helping support the RSPCA.
Go to Adopt
adopt a pet logo
Visit the Adoptapet website
Make a difference to a pet’s life today.
Search Adoptapet

A landmark review released today, commissioned by the Victorian Government and written by leading international experts from the University of Bristol, has reinforced the RSPCA’s position – that good animal welfare means no battery cages.

The review was commissioned by the Victorian Department of Agriculture in response to the development of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for the Welfare of Poultry, which has been underway since 2015.

RSPCA Australia Senior Policy Officer Dr Jed Goodfellow said, “Despite claiming to be science-based, the standards writing group ignored the RSPCA’s calls to commission a review of existing research prior to drafting the new standards,”

“We applaud the Victorian Government for taking the initiative and funding this fully independent expert review, which we can now confirm backs the RSPCA’s opposition to battery cages,” said Dr Goodfellow.

“The RSPCA has long advocated for an end to the use of barren battery cages in Australia, based on extensive scientific evidence that these cages cannot meet the needs of hens,

“We have known for decades that hens in cages suffer continually as they are unable to lay their eggs in a nest, move around freely, stretch their wings, forage or dust bathe,” he said.

The review states that, “The conventional cage system prevents birds from performing basic movements essential for good health (walking, wing stretching), and denies birds the possibility of expressing their behavioural needs to roost, nest and forage, or their motivation to dust-bathe, due to an inherent lack of resources.”

Furthermore, the restricted space per hen in battery cages is “associated with increased mortality, an increase in physiological stress and compromised immune function.”

The review acknowledges all layer hen housing systems have welfare challenges, but that cage-free systems offer scope for progressive improvement; whereas the welfare problems of battery cages are inherent to the system itself and cannot be overcome by - for example - good management.

Following the failures of the Standards writing group, the RSPCA released its own review of the animal welfare science around layer hen housing last year. A peer-reviewed version of this report is due to be published soon in the World’s Poultry Science Journal.

“This new independent review confirms the findings of our own review, and what we have known for years - there is no denying that hens suffer in battery cages. It doesn’t matter how shiny and new the cages are, or how fancy the shed is – the fact is, life in a barren wire cage is miserable for a hen,” said Dr Goodfellow.

“Fortunately, it’s not too late, and we urge state governments to now act on this evidence and support a phase-out of battery cages in the draft standards,” said Dr Goodfellow.

This is the same evidence that has led the governments of New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the entire European union to conclude that battery cages should be phased out.

Around 11 million Australian hens remain confined in battery cages, despite overwhelming community support for cage-free systems.

Despite ongoing disagreement among stakeholders regarding the draft standards, they are due to be released for public input at the end of this month, more than a year later than initially planned.

To find out more about the welfare problems of battery cages, visit www.endthebatterycage.org.au.

The review also covers a wide range of issues related to the care and management of all poultry – not just layer hens - and the RSPCA will consider these findings in due course. 

subscribe box

Stay informed on big issues and how you can help improve animal welfare across Australia.

Subscribe today and we’ll keep you updated on all the latest campaigns, events and news.