This archive report was first published on 27 December 2021.
Kenyan chicken farmers are turning to battery cages to boost egg production, despite opposition from animal welfare groups who claim the system is cruel.
Stella Njoroge, a poultry farmer, has seen a significant increase in egg production since switching to battery cages. She now houses 2,500 chickens in a space originally meant for 500.
"I have done this type of system for a year now," Njoroge said. "I had started with few chickens and I was doing them on deep litter, so I graduated to the battery cage system and there is a good margin on producing eggs."
According to Njoroge, the battery cage system allows her to manage diseases more effectively and identify sick birds early. She also notes that the system is easier to manage than the deep litter system, where chickens are raised on the floor covered with sawdust or litter.
Peter Kinyua, another battery cage enthusiast, agrees that caging chickens is a good thing because they are less likely to get sick and are less of a target for predators and thieves.
However, Dr. Victor Yamo, the campaign manager in charge of farming at World Animal Protection, disagrees with battery cage farmers. He argues that the system is inhumane and causes diseases in birds.
"The battery cage system stresses the birds and causes diseases," Yamo said. "The bird steps on wire mesh and it stands on it for the rest of its life. It doesn't have the capacity nor the space to lie down and that leaves the bird with a lot of wounds."
Yamo also notes that poultry kept in battery cages are more likely to break their bones due to lack of exercise and sunlight. He adds that there is currently no single statute that regulates poultry farming in Kenya, despite poultry farming playing a major role in boosting the economy.
