Today, Eyes on Animals provided an online training session to the manager of several Kipster laying hen barns in the USA, operated under franchise by MPS Egg Farms. As this farm manager recently started managing the Kipster houses, he plays a key role in safeguarding animal welfare during all stages of production, including during depopulation, the training focused on essential welfare aspects during this process, so he can properly supervise and guide the procedure onsite.
Kipster USA, like other Kipster farms worldwide, uses the Eyes on Animals upright catching method. During the session, we explained this technique and shared visual examples and guidance on best practices for hen loading.
In the USA, hens are loaded into tall, wide metal carts rather than standard crates, as is common in most EU countries. These carts require careful handling to prevent smothering and deep falls. Once loaded, the hens are killed onsite inside the carts with high concentrations of CO₂ instead of being transported to a slaughterhouse. While this avoids potentially long journeys—often necessary due to the limited number of laying hen slaughterhouses in the USA—it introduces welfare challenges during the killing process itself.
Following our visit in 2023, MPS Eggs Farms implemented several improvements to their SOPs aimed at reducing stress during both loading and killing, including increasing CO₂ exposure time, reducing the number of hens per batch, and adjusting cart design. We appreciate these efforts and their openness to our recommendations. By also brainstorming with the Kipster farm manager, we hope to further reduce stress for the animals—within the limitations of high CO₂ concentration systems—and ease the job for the catchers as well.
