Victoria fast-tracks new hen welfare rules ahead of 2036 cage phaseout
Victoria is moving ahead with stricter standards for laying-hen cages, while producers warn about cost, timing uncertainty and risks for recently expanded farms.
The Australian state of Victoria is moving ahead with tighter poultry welfare standards that are meant to serve as a transition step toward phasing out conventional laying cages by 2036. ABC Rural reported that from the middle of this year, all new chicken cages installed in Victoria will need nest areas, perches or platforms, and a scratch area so hens can express more natural behaviors.
The changes align Victoria with national welfare standards agreed in 2023, and the government plans to implement them under existing animal welfare law rather than wait for a broader legislative overhaul. That makes the issue commercially sensitive because cage production still plays a material role in Australia’s egg supply. ABC said caged eggs account for about 32% of national egg production, even though they represent only 2% to 6% of supermarket egg sales.
Industry groups say the move came with too little warning. Brian Ahmed, president of the Victorian Farmers Federation egg group, said producers were blindsided by the website update announcing the standards and had expected further consultation. The reaction is sharpened by recent investment made after bird flu disrupted supply and caused egg shortages more than a year ago. Ahmed said farmers expanded cages, barns and free-range systems under the rules that were in force at the time in order to keep eggs available to consumers.
The transition path is staged but still expensive. Initially, the updated requirements will apply only to newly built cages once the standards are adopted, but from 2032 to 2036 all cages will have to be adapted to comply. Producers are concerned that sheds and cages built recently to respond to avian influenza disruptions may not meet the future requirements. That is why the industry is arguing that current investment must be protected and that major regulatory changes need a clearer timetable and better communication.
Animal welfare specialists support the direction of the reform. Lauren Hemsworth, an associate professor in animal welfare at Melbourne University’s Veterinary School, told ABC that perching, dust bathing and nesting are highly motivated behaviors for hens and that enabling them improves welfare. She said standard commercial cages do not provide those furnishings and therefore limit behavior that is associated with positive experiences.
Even supporters of the new standards say the cage system still matters for supply reliability. Hemsworth noted that caged production offers greater climate control, less exposure to wild birds, and stronger disease monitoring opportunities, which is why it remains part of maintaining a consistent egg supply chain. The central dispute, then, is not simply about whether welfare rules should tighten, but how quickly the shift should happen and how much time and money producers will be given to adjust.