Values in Layer Hen Welfare 2.0: The Application of Community Values to Key Layer Hen Welfare Issues

The current research project sought to explore community values underlying animal welfare in commercial egg production, and particularly where values might be in tension with current practices in the industry. This study explored how members of the Australian community weighed up different desirable (or undesirable) animal welfare outcomes and investigated the values that underlie public expectations regarding such outcomes.

This study found that members of the Australian community hold diverse views about animal welfare, which are reflected in varied prioritisation of animal welfare goals and expectations about how these can best be achieved. Community members expected layer hens’ basic needs to be fulfilled as a minimal welfare requirement. Notably in both the survey and focus groups, research participants nearly always prioritised animal welfare ahead of environmental outcomes, in part because egg production was perceived as being relatively sustainable compared with other industries.