Code of practice for the welfare of laying hens and pullets.

This Code is made under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and applies in England only. It covers all parts of the laying hen production sector, including pullets and breeding birds, and all types of husbandry systems. It covers single or multiple laying hens kept on a smallholding (hobby/backyard flock), as well as commercial laying hen producers. This Code is intended to help all those who care for laying hens and pullets to practise good standards of stockmanship to safeguard bird welfare. Adherence to these recommendations will help keepers to maintain the standards required to comply with legislation.
Section 1 contains recommendations applying to all husbandry systems, these include provisions on stockmanship and staffing, Health and welfare plan, biosecurity and disease control, contingency planning for disease and other emergencies, inspection, assessment and responding to poor health and welfare, automatic or mechanical equipment, housing (ventilation and temperature, litter, feed and water, stocking density) mutilations, breeding procedures, medicines usage and record keeping, systems (cage, free range and enriched cage), etc. Section 2 contains specific recommendations applying to day-old chicks and pullet rearing.