site.bta89.4% of Bulgarians Find It Immoral to Raise Hens in Cages - Poll

A recent public opinion poll on animal welfare shows that the conditions in which laying hens are raised are important to a growing number of Bulgarians. Ever more people in this country agree that raising hens in cages is immoral, especially because there are more humane options, an NGO called Campaigns and Activism for Animals in Industry (KAZHI) said on Friday.

The poll, conducted by the Sova Harris sociological agency between June 15 and July 12, included various topics related to animals, among them the treatment of laying hens and the egg trade.

The share of people who agree that raising hens in cages is immoral is 89.4% in 2023, compared with 89% in 2021 and 76% in 2020, the poll shows. Over 76% of respondents in 2023 say they buy chicken eggs for their households every week, or almost every week. This is 0.5 percentage points more than in 2021.

"Consumers are increasingly aware of chicken raising methods and pay attention to the origin of eggs. They prefer sources where an ethical policy on animals is implemented," Elena Savova of KAZHI said.

The number of those who are unaware of the methods and conditions of raising laying hens and do not pay attention to the matter have been decreasing.

The new poll confirms Bulgarians' preference to buy from sources where the treatment of animals was more humane. The percentage of such buyers is 89.2% in 2023, compared with 87.8% in 2021 and 78% in 2020.

There is also a steady trend of consumers supporting producers and traders who refuse to sell cage eggs.