8.Birds
During agricultural research, when the aim of the project requires that the animals are kept under similar conditions to those under which commercial farm animals are kept, the keeping of the animals shall comply at least with the standards laid down in Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC(1) and 2007/43/EC(2).
Table 8.1. Domestic fowl
Where these minimum enclosure sizes cannot be provided for scientific reasons, the duration of the confinement shall be justified by the experimenter in consultation with veterinary staff. In such circumstances, birds can be housed in smaller enclosures containing appropriate enrichment and with a minimum floor area of 0,75 m2.
| Body mass(g) | Minimum enclosure size(m2) | Minimum area per bird(m2) | Minimum height(cm) | Minimum length of feed trough per bird(cm) | Date referred to in Article 33(2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 200 | 1,0 | 0,025 | 30 | 3 | 1 January 2017 |
| over 200 to 300 | 1,0 | 0,03 | 30 | 3 | |
| over 300 to 600 | 1,0 | 0,05 | 40 | 7 | |
| over 600 to 1 200 | 2,0 | 0,09 | 50 | 15 | |
| over 1 200 to 1 800 | 2,0 | 0,11 | 75 | 15 | |
| over 1 800 to 2 400 | 2,0 | 0,13 | 75 | 15 | |
| over 2 400 | 2,0 | 0,21 | 75 | 15 |
Table 8.2. Domestic turkeys
All enclosure sides shall be at least 1,5 m long. Where these minimum enclosures sizes cannot be provided for scientific reasons, the duration of the confinement shall be justified by the experimenter in consultation with veterinary staff. In such circumstances, birds can be housed in smaller enclosures containing appropriate enrichment and with a minimum floor area of 0,75 m2 and a minimum height of 50 cm for birds below 0,6 kg, 75 cm for birds below 4 kg, and 100 cm for birds over 4 kg. These can be used to house small groups of birds in accordance with the space allowances given in table 8.2.
| Body mass(kg) | Minimum enclosure size(m2) | Minimum area per bird(m2) | Minimum height(cm) | Minimum length of feed trough per bird(cm) | Date referred to in Article 33(2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 0,3 | 2,0 | 0,13 | 50 | 3 | 1 January 2017 |
| over 0,3 to 0,6 | 2,0 | 0,17 | 50 | 7 | |
| over 0,6 to 1 | 2,0 | 0,3 | 100 | 15 | |
| over 1 to 4 | 2,0 | 0,35 | 100 | 15 | |
| over 4 to 8 | 2,0 | 0,4 | 100 | 15 | |
| over 8 to 12 | 2,0 | 0,5 | 150 | 20 | |
| over 12 to 16 | 2,0 | 0,55 | 150 | 20 | |
| over 16 to 20 | 2,0 | 0,6 | 150 | 20 | |
| over 20 | 3,0 | 1,0 | 150 | 20 |
Table 8.3. Quails
| Body mass(g) | Minimum enclosure size(m2) | Area per bird pair-housed(m2) | Area per additional bird group-housed(m2) | Minimum height(cm) | Minimum length of trough per bird(cm) | Date referred to in Article 33(2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 150 | 1,0 | 0,5 | 0,1 | 20 | 4 | 1 January 2017 |
| Over 150 | 1,0 | 0,6 | 0,15 | 30 | 4 |
Table 8.4. Ducks and geese
Where these minimum enclosures sizes cannot be provided for scientific reasons, the duration of the confinement shall be justified by the experimenter in consultation with veterinary staff. In such circumstances, birds can be housed in smaller enclosures containing appropriate enrichment and with a minimum floor area of 0,75 m2. These can be used to house small groups of birds in accordance with the space allowances given in table 8.4.
| a This shall include a pond of minimum area 0,5 m2 per 2 m2 enclosure with a minimum depth of 30 cm. The pond may contribute up to 50 % of the minimum enclosure size. | |||||
| b Pre-fledged birds may be held in enclosures with a minimum height of 75 cm. | |||||
| Body mass(g) | Minimum enclosure size(m2) | Area per bird(m2)a | Minimum height(cm) | Minimum length of feed trough per bird(cm) | Date referred to in Article 33(2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ducks | 1 January 2017 | ||||
| Up to 300 | 2,0 | 0,1 | 50 | 10 | |
| Over 300 to 1 200b | 2,0 | 0,2 | 200 | 10 | |
| Over 1 200 to 3 500 | 2,0 | 0,25 | 200 | 15 | |
| Over 3 500 | 2,0 | 0,5 | 200 | 15 | |
| Geese | |||||
| Up to 500 | 2,0 | 0,2 | 200 | 10 | |
| Over 500 to 2 000 | 2,0 | 0,33 | 200 | 15 | |
| Over 2 000 | 2,0 | 0,5 | 200 | 15 | |
Table 8.5.
Ducks and geese: Minimum pond sizes a
| a Pond sizes are per 2 m2 enclosure. The pond may contribute up to 50 % of the minimum enclosure size. | ||
| Area(m2) | Depth(cm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ducks | 0,5 | 30 |
| Geese | 0,5 | from 10 to 30 |
Table 8.6. Pigeons
Enclosures shall be long and narrow (for example 2 m by 1 m) rather than square to allow birds to perform short flights.
| Group size | Minimum enclosure size(m2) | Minimum height(cm) | Minimum length of food trough per bird(cm) | Minimum length of perch per bird(cm) | Date referred to in Article 33(2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 6 | 2 | 200 | 5 | 30 | 1 January 2017 |
| from 7 to 12 | 3 | 200 | 5 | 30 | |
| for each additional bird above 12 | 0,15 | 5 | 30 |
Table 8.7. Zebra finches
Enclosures shall be long and narrow (for example 2 m by 1 m) to enable birds to perform short flights. For breeding studies, pairs may be housed in smaller enclosures containing appropriate enrichment with a minimum floor area of 0,5 m2 and a minimum height of 40 cm. The duration of the confinement shall be justified by the experimenter in consultation with veterinary staff.
| Group size | Minimum enclosure size(m2) | Minimum height(cm) | Minimum number of feeders | Date referred to in Article 33(2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 6 | 1,0 | 100 | 2 | 1 January 2017 |
| 7 to 12 | 1,5 | 200 | 2 | |
| 13 to 20 | 2,0 | 200 | 3 | |
| for each additional bird above 20 | 0,05 | 1 per 6 birds |
Council Directive 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999 laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens (OJ L 203, 3.8.1999, p. 53).
Council Directive 2007/43/EC of 28 June 2007 laying down minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production (OJ L 182, 12.7.2007, p. 19).