{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-1999-74/article-6",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-1999-74/article-6.json",
  "legislation": "eudr/1999/74",
  "legislation_title": "Council Directive 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999 laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-1999-74",
  "path": "article/6",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "6",
  "heading": null,
  "text": "Member States shall ensure that after 1 January 2002 all the cages referred to in this chapter comply at least with the following requirements:\n1.. laying hens must have:\n(a) at least 750 cm2 of cage area per hen, 600 cm2 of which shall be usable; the height of the cage other than that above the usable area shall be at least 20 cm at every point and no cage shall have a total area that is less than 2000 cm2;\n(b) a nest;\n(c) litter such that pecking and scratching are possible;\n(d) appropriate perches allowing at least 15 cm per hen;\n2.. a feed trough which may be used without restriction must be provided. Its length must be at least 12 cm multiplied by the number of hens in the cage;\n3.. each cage must have a drinking system appropriate to the size of the group; where nipple drinkers are provided, at least two nipple drinkers or two cups must be within the reach of each hen;\n4.. to facilitate inspection, installation and depopulation of hens there must be a minimum aisle width of 90 cm between tiers of cages and a space of at least 35 cm must be allowed between the floor of the building and the bottom tier of cages;\n5.. cages must be fitted with suitable claw-shortening devices.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudr/1999/74/article/6",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:23:04.122563+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}