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Feedstuffs: The Weekly Newspaper for Agribusiness Reports United
Poultry Concerns Campaign to Stop Forced Molting, August 7, 2000,
p. 8
The following article shows the progress and pressure of United
Poultry Concerns' public education campaign to get the egg industry
to stop starving birds.
(Reprinted from Feedstuffs)
UEP plans research about induced molting practice
ATLANTA, GA. - A recent campaign by the activist group United
Poultry Concerns generated more than 5,000 cards, letters, and signed
petitions to the offices of the United Egg Producers (UEP) in
Atlanta, calling for the egg industry to discontinue its practice to
force hens to molt, a practice that increases a layer's reproductive
life, according to UEP.
United Poultry Concerns president Dr. Karen Davis said the cards
and letters should be considered "a mandate" to cease forcing hens to
molt through feed withdrawal and other means, UEP reported.
Individual producers also have received letters arguing that the
practice be stopped and "demanding" farm tours, UEP said.
UEP urged producers receiving such demands not to respond but to
turn letters over to local police, expressing a concern that the
letters may be a threat.
However, UEP also reported that, given mounting pressure to
discontinue induced molting, including questions from government
agencies, it has received a grant from the American Egg Board to
conduct research into molting without feed withdrawal. UEP said the
research will begin soon.
Cage space
About another animal husbandry issue, UEP reported that the
Australian Egg Industry Assn. has reached an agreement with the
Australian government to increase cage space to a minimum of 550 sq.
cm (85 sq. in.) per bird. The increased space will be effective for
all new cage systems beginning Jan. 1, 2001, UEP said. [United
Poultry Concerns Note: in the U.S. each hen has 48 square inches of
space in a cage holding from 5 to 11 hens.]
United Poultry Concerns. August 13, 2000
United Poultry Concerns, Inc.
PO Box 150
Machipongo, VA 23405-0150
757-678-7875
FAX: 757-678-5070
www.upc-online.org
(Action Alert - Feedstuffs article on UPC/forced molting)
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