RegulationsAdministrative Law
Animal Welfare (Protection of Animals) (Raising and Keeping of Laying Hens in Coops for Agricultural Purposes) Regulations, 5782-2022
תקנות צער בעלי חיים (הגנה על בעלי חיים) (גידול תרנגולות מטילות והחזקתן בלולים לצרכים חקלאיים), תשפ"ב-2022
Published: 2022-06-30Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2025-07-28 · Last amended 2022-07-21
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Section C: Operation of a Coop and the Raising of Laying Hens therein
Operation of a Coop§
10.
(a)A person in charge shall inspect the coop twice a day, at an interval of at least 8 hours, to verify that all of the following apply in the coop:
(1)the systems and installations listed below are in working order and operating properly:
(a)ventilation, lighting, backup, temperature regulation and cooling systems, as referred to in regulations 7(a)(1) to (4) and (9), 8(1) and 9(a)(1), if any;
(b)monitoring and alert systems as referred to in regulation 7(a)(8);
(c)installations and systems for the supply of drinking water and food, as referred to in regulations 7(a)(5) and (9), 8(2) and 9(a)(2) and (3), as the case may be;
(2)the drinking installations and feeders are free of excreta or waste;
(3)the laying hens are fed food in a quantity and nutritional composition appropriate to their needs;
(4)the gas levels in the coop do not exceed that prescribed in regulation 7(a)(1).
(b)A person in charge in a laying coop –
(1)shall ensure that the cooling system of the coop is operating if the temperature within the coop structure exceeds 28 degrees Celsius and laying hens are present therein;
(2)shall inspect, at least once a day, that the yard is free of objects that may injure the laying hens.
(c)In a coop that has several tiers, the person in charge shall verify, at least once a day, that the laying hens in the coop are able to move freely between the tiers.
(d)In a coop that is artificially lit, the person in charge shall verify, at least once a day, that the lighting cycle referred to in regulation 7(a)(4) includes a continuous dark period of at least eight hours and a continuous light period of at least eight hours, and that the transition to the dark period is effected by dimming or gradually reducing the light, over a period of at least 20 minutes; the provisions of this sub-regulation shall not apply to –
(1)a rearing coop, provided that the lighting therein is appropriate to the needs of the chicks;
(2)an acclimatisation period of 24 hours from the moment the laying hens are introduced into the laying coop;
(3)feeding during night-time hours, provided that the duration of the lighting operation for the purpose of feeding does not exceed one hour.
(e)If the person in charge finds that a condition referred to in sub-regulations (a) to (d) is not being met in the coop, or has received an alert from the monitoring and alert systems referred to in regulation 7(a)(8), the person in charge shall act to remedy the defect or malfunction as soon as possible; if the person in charge does not have the means to remedy the defect or malfunction, or if the remedy was not successfully carried out, the person in charge shall immediately report this to the coop owner.
(f)A coop owner shall act to remedy a defect or malfunction reported to him by the person in charge under sub-regulation (e), as soon as possible.
Medical Treatment and Duty to Consult§
11.
(a)The person in charge shall conduct a daily inspection of the coop for the purpose of detecting signs of disease, injury or distress among the laying hens.
(b)If the person in charge has found a laying hen that is sick or injured, he shall take, as soon as possible, one or more of the following measures:
(1)transfer to conditions of keeping appropriate to its condition, including isolation;
(2)initial treatment to alleviate its suffering or to cure it;
(3)treatment in accordance with the recommendation of a veterinarian or a poultry farming instructor;
(4)killing with minimisation of suffering in accordance with regulation 12.
(c)The coop owner shall place at the disposal of the person in charge the means necessary for the treatment of laying hens in accordance with sub-regulation (b).
(d)A person in charge who has identified an exceptional event shall report it to the coop owner as soon as possible.
(e)Where a coop owner has received a report from the person in charge, a veterinarian or a poultry farming instructor concerning the occurrence of an exceptional event, the coop owner shall consult, as soon as possible, with a veterinarian or a poultry farming instructor, and shall take the measures necessary for the treatment of the laying hens.
Slaughter of a Laying Hen whilst Minimising the Suffering Caused to It§
12.
(a)A person shall not put a laying hen to death except by one of the following methods:
(1)slaughter or neck dislocation by a person trained for that purpose;
(2)putting to death by a veterinarian;
(3)putting to death by foam, electricity, gas or a mixture of gases, by means of a dedicated installation approved by the Supervisor under this regulation and in accordance with the conditions set out in the approval;
(4)another method that the Supervisor has approved for the applicant for approval, in writing and with reasons, after being satisfied, on the basis of comparative scientific studies, that it does not cause greater suffering than the suffering caused by the methods listed in paragraph (3).
(b)A person wishing to have an installation for putting to death approved under sub-regulation (a)(3) (in this regulation – the installation) shall submit a written application to the Supervisor and attach to it all of the following (in this regulation – the application):
(1)a detailed engineering diagram, including a technical specification of the installation and its method of operation;
(2)written operating instructions from the manufacturer of the installation concerning the manner and rate of introducing laying hens into the installation; if the instructions are not in the Hebrew language, a Hebrew translation thereof, certified by a notary, shall also be attached;
(3)a flow diagram of the introduction of laying hens from the coop into the installation;
(4)details of the ages of the laying hens intended to be put to death by means of the installation;
(5)one of the following:
(a)approval from a competent governmental authority in a member state of the European Union to the effect that the installation meets the requirements laid down in the European Union regulations concerning the protection of animals at the time of killing;
(b)two comparative scientific studies published in a recognised professional journal that is subject to peer review (peer reviewed journal), according to which the installation is suitable for putting laying hens to death whilst minimising the suffering caused to them.
(c)The Supervisor shall decide on the application within six months of the date of its submission.
(d)The Supervisor may require the applicant, if it appears to the Supervisor that this is necessary for the purpose of reaching a decision on the application –
(1)to submit additional information or documents beyond those attached to the application;
(2)to carry out, at the applicant's expense, one or more tests, including operation or a trial test of the installation, and also to instruct the applicant concerning the manner of carrying out the test and reporting on it.
(e)Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-regulation (a), the putting to death of laying hens when clearing a coop at the end of their rearing period shall be carried out by means of a dedicated installation for putting to death by electricity that has been approved under sub-regulation (a)(3), or by another method approved under sub-regulation (a)(4), provided that the Supervisor has been satisfied that it does not cause greater suffering than the suffering caused by putting to death by electricity as referred to in this sub-regulation.
Prohibition of Forced Moulting§
13.
A person shall not cause forced moulting in a laying hen; for the purposes of this regulation, "forced moulting" – the starvation of a laying hen with the aim of inducing in it an additional laying cycle.
Prohibition of Beak Trimming§
14.
A person shall not perform beak trimming on a laying hen in a coop.
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Contact Us →Section D: Miscellaneous Provisions
Keeping of Records§
15.
(a)The person in charge shall keep records of all of the following:
(1)inspection of the integrity and proper functioning of the structure, equipment and systems and replacement of litter as referred to in regulation 5(4) and (5);
(2)the carrying out of daily inspections as referred to in regulation 10(a), (b)(2), (c) and (d) and the findings thereof; with respect to gas levels as referred to in regulation 7(a)(1), the person in charge shall record the levels measured;
(3)signs of illness, injury or distress detected as referred to in regulation 11(a);
(4)treatment given to laying hens, including keeping in special conditions, as referred to in regulation 11(b)(1) to (3);
(5)the number of laying hens that died or were put to death under regulation 11(b)(4), each day;
(6)visits by veterinarians and poultry farming instructors and consultations held with them as referred to in regulation 11(b)(3) and (e);
(7)exceptional events, the treatment thereof and reporting thereon as referred to in regulation 11(d) and (e);
(8)treatment or keeping in special conditions pursuant to an instruction from a government veterinarian as referred to in regulation 18;
(9)in addition to the foregoing, with respect to a laying coop –
(a)the daily laying rate;
(b)operation of the cooling system as referred to in regulation 10(b)(1).
(b)The coop owner shall make available to the person in charge the means for keeping records under sub-regulation (a) and shall retain the records for a period of 24 months from the date of removal of all laying hens from the coop.
Keeping of Medicines, Vaccine Preparations and Pest Control Substances§
16.
A person shall not keep in a coop medicines, vaccine preparations and substances for the control of parasites and pests (in this regulation – the substances) unless the substances are kept in a closed and locked cabinet located in a place separate from the area in which laying hens are kept.
Signage§
17.
A coop owner shall place at the entrance to the coop, in a place visible to the eye, a sign on which the number allocated to the coop by the Ministry is written, as well as the name and telephone number of a person who can be contacted when the coop is closed.
Exemption in Special Cases§
18.
A government veterinarian may, in special cases and by a reasoned written decision, exempt a person, with respect to a particular coop, from the provisions referred to in regulations 5(3), 6(a), 7(a)(7), 10(d) or 14, in whole or in part, and instruct that person on the treatment of laying hens in the coop or their keeping in special conditions, for such period as the government veterinarian shall direct, and all this if the government veterinarian has considered it necessary in the circumstances of the matter for the purpose of reducing harm to the welfare of the laying hens in the coop.
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Contact Us →Chapter IV: Special Justification and Penalties
Special Justification§
19.
A person shall not be regarded as responsible for a breach of these Regulations –
(1)if the person acted in accordance with instructions given by a competent authority under the Animal Diseases Ordinance or by a government veterinarian under regulation 18;
(2)if the person's act was immediately necessary for the welfare of a laying hen, and the anticipated harm to its welfare resulting from the breach was less than that which would have been anticipated from non-breach.
Penalties§
20.
(a)A person who does one of the following is liable to six months' imprisonment:
(1)a person who established a coop or kept laying hens therein contrary to regulation 3;
(2)a coop owner who restocked a coop otherwise than in accordance with the conditions set out in regulation 5;
(3)a coop owner who kept laying hens in a rearing coop or a laying coop, as the case may be, at a density exceeding that referred to in regulation 6;
(4)a coop owner who kept laying hens in a coop without the conditions set out in regulation 7 being met with respect to the infrastructure and equipment therein;
(5)a coop owner who kept laying hens in a rearing coop without the conditions set out in regulation 8 being met with respect to the infrastructure and equipment therein;
(6)a coop owner who kept laying hens in a laying coop without the conditions set out in regulation 9 being met with respect to the infrastructure and equipment therein;
(7)a person in charge who did not inspect, twice a day at intervals of at least 8 hours, whether the conditions set out in regulation 10(a) were being met in the coop;
(8)a person in charge in a laying coop who did not verify that the coop cooling system was operating when the temperature in the coop structure exceeded 28 degrees Celsius, contrary to regulation 10(b)(1);
(9)a person in charge in a laying coop who did not check, at least once a day, that the yard was free of objects liable to harm the laying hens, contrary to regulation 10(b)(2);
(10)a person in charge in a coop with several levels who did not verify, at least once a day, that the laying hens in the coop were able to move freely between the levels, contrary to regulation 10(c);
(11)a person in charge in a coop lit artificially who did not verify, at least once a day, that the lighting cycle included a continuous dark period of at least eight hours and a continuous light period of at least eight hours, or that the transition to the dark period was effected by dimming the light or gradually, contrary to regulation 10(d);
(12)a person in charge who did not act to remedy a defect or malfunction, or who did not report to the coop owner that the person in charge did not have the means to remedy the defect or malfunction, or that the remedy was unsuccessful, contrary to regulation 10(e);
(13)a coop owner who did not act to remedy a defect or malfunction that the person in charge reported to the coop owner under regulation 10(e), contrary to regulation 10(f);
(14)a person in charge who did not carry out a daily inspection of the coop for the purpose of detecting signs of illness, injury or distress among the laying hens, contrary to regulation 11(a);
(15)a person in charge who found a sick or injured laying hen and did not take one or more of the measures listed in regulation 11(b), contrary to that regulation;
(16)a coop owner who did not make available to the person in charge the means for treating laying hens, contrary to regulation 11(c);
(17)a person in charge who did not report to the coop owner on an exceptional event, contrary to regulation 11(d);
(18)a coop owner who received a report on the occurrence of an exceptional event as referred to in regulation 11(e) and did not consult a veterinarian or a poultry farming instructor, or did not take the necessary measures for the treatment of the laying hens, contrary to that regulation;
(19)a person who put a laying hen to death other than by one of the methods listed in regulation 12(a);
(20)a person who put a laying hen to death when clearing a coop at the end of its rearing period, other than by one of the methods listed in regulation 12(e);
(21)a person who caused forced moulting in a laying hen, contrary to regulation 13;
(22)a person who performed beak trimming on a laying hen in a coop, contrary to regulation 14;
(23)a person who kept medicines, vaccine preparations and substances for the control of parasites and pests otherwise than in accordance with regulation 16.
(b)A person who does one of the following is liable to a fine as referred to in Section 61(a)(1) of the Penal Law, 5737-1977:
(1)a person in charge who did not keep records under regulation 15(a);
(2)a coop owner who did not make available to the person in charge the means for keeping records, contrary to regulation 15(b);
(3)a coop owner who did not retain records for a period of 24 months from the date of removal of all laying hens from the coop, contrary to regulation 15(b);
(4)a coop owner who did not place at the entrance to the coop, in a place visible to the eye, a sign on which the number allocated to the coop by the Ministry is written, as well as the name and telephone number of a person who can be contacted when the coop is closed, contrary to regulation 17.
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