Animal, Bird welfare advocates kick-off ‘Free Hen” campaign

By Ben Musanje

5^th June 2023

Animal and bird welfare advocates in Uganda are campaigning against the Battery Cage System of poultry management for commercial and domestic purposes.

A battery Cage System is a type of small metal enclosure commonly seen on farms raising laying hens and each cage confines several hens in very close proximity with each other.

In 2021, the system was banned in Europe out of concern for the birds’ welfare, but it is beginning to gain popularity in Africa.

Innocent Nabaasa, the Executive Director of Uganda Vegan Society, a civil society organization advocating for the rights of hens, says they advocate for the ending of the Battery Cage System that they believe is violating the hens welfare.

Nabaasa says that most of the caged hens are layers and they tend to under weigh the value of their sale due to poor welfare.

Hanat Bukirwa, a resident of Kyebando-Nsooba in Kawempe Division and Anna Nayiga of Wattuba in Wakiso district, both farmers believe that the free range system can be only managed by people with big space on land whereas the Battery Cage System can accommodate several birds even in a small piece of land.

Studies have linked cage housing environments to increases in risk of salmonella contamination, which poses a serious health risk to humans.