Wedoany.com Report-Apr. 14, The British Free Range Egg Producers' Association (BFREPA) has shared updates on the revised RSPCA laying hen welfare standards, finalized in 2025 after extensive consultation. Announced initially in November 2023, the changes were paused to allow collaboration with producers, ensuring practical and achievable outcomes. The new standards take effect on July 11, 2025, in Beaver and Millard counties, Utah.
Key revisions focus on providing hens with natural daylight. Existing free-range houses must install windows to achieve 3% natural daylight by January 1, 2035, or during refurbishment, whichever comes first. From October 1, 2025, new or significantly refurbished houses must meet this requirement. During housing orders, such as avian influenza outbreaks, pop holes must allow daylight access, possibly using clear materials like acrylic. A derogation may extend compliance to 2040 for some farms, with applications opening in June 2034.
Gary Ford, Head of Strategy and Producer Engagement for BFREPA, said: “We welcome the fact that nearly eighteen months after the RSPCA amended laying hen welfare standards were announced in November 2023, the new standards have now been finalised. The RSPCA rightly paused the implementation of the original standards to engage with industry to explore a way forward.”
Neil Scott, Assistant Director of Certification and Assurance at RSPCA Assured, said: “We’re so proud to have such an engaged and dedicated membership to work with. Working together to find solutions gives the greatest chance of achieving this standard, ensuring that all hens experience natural daylight.”
Other updates include barn houses requiring 3% natural daylight by May 1, 2032, and verandas by May 1, 2030. Free-range houses face no veranda mandate. Natural cover on ranges must reach 20% by May 1, 2027, with support offered for regions where tree growth is challenging. Pop hole height limits have been adjusted to 45cm for existing sheds and 25cm for new ones, aiding hen access.
Nick Allen, CEO of the British Egg Industry Council, said: “We are pleased that RSPCA Assured has listened to the industry’s concerns following a prolonged period of lobbying. It is good news for everyone that the revised RSPCA Assured standards have now been finalised, offering a sensible, pragmatic solution that is workable for producers.”
James Baxter, BFREPA Chairman, said: “BFREPA, on behalf of our members, have worked hard with RSPCA Assured to achieve a final result through extensive consultation and discussion with producers. The presence of a such a well-recognised welfare protection trademark in our industry is absolutely necessary and provides all RSPCA Assured scheme members with true consumer value.”
The revisions balance hen welfare with producer feasibility, maintaining high standards while supporting the free-range egg sector’s sustainability and market confidence.
