Welfare of laying hens and pullets: guidance

Annex 1: Legislation affecting laying hens and pullets

The main requirements are summarised below. This does not represent an exhaustive list and note that some legislation is regularly updated and / or amended. Much of the legislation referred to has already been amended by the date of publication of this guidance. Where legislation has been amended, the amended version of the legislation should be used.

All Scottish legislation and UK legislation which pertains to Scotland can be found at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/browse/scotland

See also:

The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006

The Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010

The Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Regulations 2010.

Transport

For information on transporting laying hens, see:

• Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations
• The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Scotland) Regulations 2006

Slaughter

For information on welfare at slaughter and killing laying hens, see:

• Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing (as amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/723)
• The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Scotland) Regulations 2012
• The Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995

Disease control and biosecurity

• See the Animal Health Act 1981.

Responsible medicines usage and record keeping

See the following:

• The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Scotland) Order 2007 requires those keeping 50 birds or more to register their flock with the Scottish Ministers (i.e. the poultry register operated by APHA on behalf of the Scottish Ministers).
• The Control of Salmonella in Poultry (Breeding, Laying and Broiler Flocks) (Scotland) Order 2009 requires certain records to be kept (including at hatcheries) and Salmonella testing to be carried out for breeding and laying flocks.
• The Diseases of Poultry (Scotland) Order 2003 amongst other things requires those keeping flocks of poultry of at least 250 birds on premises to keep certain records.
• The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 require records to be kept on acquisition, usage, administration and disposal of medicines. Records must be kept for at least 5 years.

Note: The Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010 includes rules regarding the recording of what medicine is administered and when (for welfare purposes) and applies to all farm animals.

The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 recording requirements describe in detail what must be recorded, how long the records must be kept and include the requirement for records of when and where medicines are acquired in addition to the requirement for records at the time of administration.

Record keeping requirements are additionally set out in

• Regulation 32 of the Animals and Animal Products (Examination for Residues and Maximum Residue Limits) (England and Scotland) Regulations 2015
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 on pharmacologically active substances and their classification regarding maximum residue limits in foodstuffs of animal origin (as amended).

Animal by-products

For the requirements on storage, transport and disposal of animal by-products such as dead carcases, manure and litter see:

• Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and Council laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption (as amended)
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 142/2011 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and implementing Council Directive 97/78/EC as regards certain samples and items exempt from veterinary checks at the border (as amended)

The requirements are enforced by The Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 2013.