Welfare of Farmed Animals (poultry, Scotland): meat chickens, laying hens and stocking density
What a Scottish poultry keeper must do to meet Schedules 2 and 3 of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010, covering meat chicken training, stocking density and its notification, laying hen systems, inspection, records and the welfare guidance.
If you keep meat chickens or laying hens in Scotland you must meet Schedule 1 (general conditions) and either Schedule 2 (conventionally reared meat chickens) or Schedule 3 (laying hens) of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010 (SSI 2010/388). Regulation 7A also requires you to be acquainted with the Scottish Government's Guidance for the Welfare of Meat Chickens and Meat Breeding Chickens (April 2019) or Guidance for the Welfare of Laying Hens and Pullets (August 2020), to have access to it while working, and to make sure anyone you engage is instructed in it.
A "conventionally reared meat chicken" does not include birds on a holding with fewer than 500 of them, breeding stock, or birds reared free range, traditional free range, extensive indoor or organically. Schedule 3 applies only to holdings with 350 or more laying hens (regulation 6(1)(b)).
- Meat chickens, training
- A keeper must hold a recognised training certificate, or written confirmation from the Scottish Ministers that their experience is equivalent
- Meat chickens, stocking density
- Not more than 33 kg of live weight per square metre of usable area. Up to 39 kg per square metre is allowed if you keep the house documentation and ventilation, ammonia, carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity standards in Schedule 2
- Meat chickens, notification
- Notify the Scottish Ministers of the intended stocking density of any house above 33 kg per square metre, and of any change, at least 15 working days before stocking at that density
- Meat chickens, air quality at higher density
- Ammonia not above 20 parts per million and carbon dioxide not above 3,000 parts per million at bird head height
- Meat chickens, light
- At least 20 lux during lighting periods over at least 80 per cent of the usable area, with a 24-hour rhythm including at least 6 hours of darkness, one of them at least 4 hours uninterrupted
- Meat chickens, inspection
- All birds inspected at least twice a day. Seriously injured or ill birds must be treated or culled immediately
- Meat chickens, records
- For each house, the number introduced, usable area, hybrid or breed, deaths with causes and cull numbers at each inspection, and the number remaining after removal. Keep for at least 3 years
- Laying hens, systems
- Conventional (unenriched) cages have been banned since 1 January 2012. Enriched cages need at least 750 square centimetres per hen, of which 600 is usable area, plus a nest, litter and perches of at least 15 cm per hen. Non-cage systems are limited to 9 hens per square metre of usable area
- Laying hens, non-cage facilities
- At least one nest per 7 hens, perches of 15 cm per hen, 250 square centimetres of littered area per hen, and feed and drinking space per hen as set out in Schedule 3
- Laying hens, inspection
- All hens inspected by the person responsible at least once a day. In cage systems, dead hens must be removed every day
- General records
- Record medicinal treatments and the number of deaths at each inspection. Keep them for at least 3 years
- Penalty
- Summary conviction, a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale, or imprisonment for up to 3 months, or both (regulation 11)
- Slaughterhouse follow-up
- Official vets analyse mortality and post-mortem results. If they point to poor welfare, the vet tells you and the Scottish Ministers
What you must do
- Get the training certificate (meat chickens). Hold a recognised certificate or written confirmation of equivalent experience before you keep a flock.
- Decide your stocking density and notify if above 33 kg per square metre. Give the Scottish Ministers 15 working days' notice and have your house documents ready.
- Inspect on schedule. Twice a day for meat chickens, once a day for laying hens, and cull or treat sick birds without delay.
- Keep flock records for 3 years and make them available to an inspector.
- Choose a legal laying hen system. Do not use an unenriched cage. If you use enriched cages or a non-cage system, meet the space, nest, perch and litter figures.
- Know the guidance. Keep a copy where staff can reach it and instruct anyone you engage.
Welfare of farmed animals (SMR 13) is a cross-compliance requirement, so a breach can also cost you farm support payments.