The RSPCA believes that farm animals must be treated in a way which meets their physical, physiological and psychological needs. Farm animals must not only be provided with appropriate food, shelter and veterinary care, they must have the freedom to express normal behaviours and be kept in an environment which avoids suffering. The RSPCA therefore opposes many common practices in farming and animal husbandry because it believes that such practices do not meet the animals’ needs. These include, as examples, the keeping of hens in battery cages, the use of sow stalls and tethering for pigs and hot iron branding of livestock.

Cruel practices not illegal
Whilst the RSPCA has policies opposing such practices, these practices are not illegal. To try to bring about improvements in conditions for farm animals, the RSPCA runs public campaigns and lobbies government and industry. For example the RSPCA, together with other animal welfare organisations and with industry groups, was involved in the federal government’s review of the Code of Practice for pig husbandry and through that process achieved better welfare standards for pigs.

Welfare-friendly alternatives
In the absence of legislation banning practices which the RSPCA finds unacceptable, the RSPCA believes that it is vital that consumers are made aware of such practices and that consumers are provided with welfare-friendly alternatives. Creating a demand for welfare-friendly products will provide an incentive to producers to adopt humane farming practices.

RSPCA welfare standards – layer hens
The RSPCA, in the 1990s, developed a set of standards for egg producers that ensure a high standard of welfare for hens. That is, the hens are not kept in battery cages, have litter in which to dust bathe, space to flap wings, stretch and socialise, nests in which to lay their eggs, and adequate perch space. RSPCA-accredited barn-housed hens are kept at a maximum stocking density of 7 birds/m². Any egg producer can apply for accreditation for their farm. This will be granted if they are able to meet the high standards of welfare required and allow regular inspections to ensure that these conditions are maintained. Eggs from an accredited farm are sold with the RSPCA logo so the consumer can be assured that the hens are kept according to these welfare standards. View our layer hen standards here.

RSPCA welfare standards – pigs
More recently the RSPCA has developed standards for animal welfare friendly pork production. Under these standards a pig farm will be considered for accreditation if all pigs are kept either in well-managed extensive outdoor systems or within enhanced indoor environments that cater for the behavioural and physical needs of sows, boars, and piglets reared for slaughter, and where considerate handling, transportation and humane slaughter are observed. Practices such as sow stalls and nose-ringing are not permitted. View our pig standards here.

Accredited egg and pork producers pay a royalty to the RSPCA. All royalties from accreditation are used to pay specialist officers who carry out regular inspections of the accredited properties, to fund the development of certification standards and to fund ongoing campaigns aimed at improving the welfare of farm animals.

What can you do to help?

• Don’t buy eggs that have been produced in battery cages. Instead, choose eggs that have been produced in a barn-laid or free range system, such as RSPCA-accredited eggs.
• Don’t buy pork products that have been produced in intensive farming systems. Instead, look for products that are accredited by the RSPCA, such as Otway Pork or Gooralie Pork.
• If animal-welfare friendly products are not available, talk to your butcher or supermarket manager. Tell them you would prefer to buy products that do not come from cruel farming systems and encourage them to consider stocking and promoting products that are humanely produced.
• Write to the Australian Government Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, your State or Territory Primary Industry / Agriculture Minister, your local MP and to local newspapers. Express your anger and opposition to cruelty in the farming industries.