New laws drafted by Law Commission to end cruelty to birds (Poultry)
It has been found that the lack of hygiene and cruelty towards poultry, such as the practice of confining the birds in battery cages has resulted in health hazards for those who are consuming meat or eggs of these birds. It has led to an increase in diseases such as cancer. So, the Law Commission, in its 269th report has come up with two new laws that envisage ending cruelty to poultry. They are:
- Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Egg Laying Hens) Rules of 2017.
- Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Broiler Chicken) Rules of 2017.
What is the significance of these laws? How are they likely to end the cruelty to birds?
The following salient features of the laws will help in ending cruelty to poultry.
Better Farming Techniques
- Draft Broiler Chicken Rules mandate that a more natural environment of housing be provided to the Chickens. It mandates that there should be enough space for the movement of chickens, to stand freely, turn around and stretch their wings without any difficulty.
- The Rules also mandate that the chickens should not be housed in battery cages or kept on wire or slatted floors.
- The Rules pitches for the provision of “stimulating environment” for the indoor chickens to keep them active and healthy. According to the rules, the stimulating environment include ramps, low perches, pecking blocks and straw bales, which is expected to stimulate exploratory, foraging and locomotive behaviour in chickens.
- Chickens should be sold only to licensed slaughter houses by the poultry farm owners.
Condemns Cruelty
- The draft law condemns the cruel practices such as breaking of beaks and killing of young male chicks practiced in the poultry industry.
Human Health
- The draft law recognises the practice of feeding non-therapeutic antibiotics to the chickens which in turn has a direct bearing on human health. It has been found that this practice has led to antibiotic resistance in birds.
- The draft laws also observe that the poultry industry in India is unable to cater to the needs of an ever increasing consumer base that demands cruelty-free meat/organically-produced eggs.
- The draft Egg Laying Hens Rules mandates that the farmer is responsible to report the “outbreak/suspected outbreak” of any zoonotic or contagious disease to the local authority, the State Board and the State government.”
- It has been mandated in the rules that each poultry farm should have at least one room/enclosure for quarantining sick hens or hens suspected to be sick.
Certification
The draft Rules recommend certification of poultry farms by State animal husbandry departments. Further, the Rules mandate that such certifications should make a distinction between produce of cage free egg farming and those of battery cage farming.
