Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry

The issue

In July 2023, updated national Poultry Standards and Guidelines (the Standards) were finalised and endorsed by all state and territory Agriculture Ministers following a lengthy review process.

The Standards, when implemented, will mean significant improvements in poultry welfare, allowing birds more opportunity to express their behavioural needs.

However, nearly three years later, progress remains slow. While all states endorsed the Standards in 2023, Australia’s approach to animal welfare legislation means that – even though the Standards are specifically intended to help achieve consistency – each state and territory is responsible for implementing them. So far, only Western Australia has legislated the changes. 

It’s been nearly 10 years since the process began, with delays affecting millions of farmed poultry every year.

Important animal welfare improvements awaiting implementation 

Poultry – including meat chickens (chickens farmed for meat), ducks, turkeys and layer hens – are among the most intensively farmed animals in Australia. The updated Standards aim to improve the housing conditions of poultry, with enrichment and other important provisions that aim to better meet a bird’s behavioural needs.

Some key welfare improvements awaiting implementation in most states and territories include:

Better enrichment for smart and curious turkeys – under the new Standards, turkeys must be provided with more space as well as perches and environmental enrichment in the form of objects for pecking or substrate for foraging. Turkeys (and all other poultry) must have at least six hours of darkness (four of which are continuous) every day to support resting behaviour, and turkey breeder birds are required to have nest areas for laying their eggs. Find out more about turkey farming here.

Water access for ducks – current regulations only require drinking water for farmed ducks, but these birds are waterfowl and when given access spend much of their life in water carrying out highly motivated behaviours such as sieving, dabbling, preening and head dipping. The new poultry Standards require ducks to have access to sufficient water for preening and for cleaning their eyes and nostrils. By 2032, duck breeder birds must have access to water to allow wet preening, head dipping and dabbling. Egg-laying ducks and breeder birds must also have nest areas for laying their eggs. Find out more about duck farming here.

Legislated improvements for chickens farmed for meat – the new poultry Standards mandate that all meat chickens be provided with more space, access to substrates for pecking, foraging and scratching, and at least six hours of darkness (of which four are continuous) each day for resting. Meat chicken breeder birds must have access to perches or platforms for roosting and nest areas for laying their eggs. Find out more about meat chicken farming here.

Phase out of barren battery cages for layer hens – arguably the most celebrated and hard-won improvement to layer hen welfare is a phase out of cruel barren battery cages by 2036. While the long timeframe is disappointing, once the Standards are implemented millions of caged layer hens will no longer spend their lives confined to barren wire cages, with less than the size of an A4 sheet of paper per hen. All layer hens (regardless of housing system) must have access to substrates for pecking, foraging and scratching, at least six hours of darkness (of which four are continuous) each day for resting, access to a nest for laying eggs, access to a perch or platform for roosting, and a scratch area or claw-shortening device. New requirements for cage systems mandate more space per bird and increased cage height. Find out more about hens in cages and why the RSPCA advocates for cage-free systems here.

We can do better for animals

Australia is falling behind internationally in phasing out barren battery cages for layer hens, with 30 of the 36 nations of the OECD either having phased them out or are in the process of phasing them out.

The delay in implementing the Standards affects not only layer hens but also turkeys, ducks, meat chickens, and other poultry species.

And this fragmented situation highlights the need for greater consistency and urgency across state and territory borders because without coordinated action, progress will remain erratic, leaving producers in limbo and welfare improvements sitting on the table.

We call on all state and territory governments to demonstrate their commitment to animal welfare by progressing the decision they endorsed in July 2023 and legislating the Standards.

Hens in cages

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Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry

Take action by signing the petition and help say bye bye to barren battery cages for good

The issue

Important animal welfare improvements awaiting implementation

We can do better for animals

How can YOU help?

Take action by signing the petition and help say bye bye to barren battery cages for good

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

Important animal welfare improvements awaiting implementation 