As of August, all producers in the scheme must provide at least 8cm of perching per bird for all flocks housed, which is ‘proving particularly problematic’ for mobile units and some older shed designs, according to the association’s chief executive, Robert Gooch.
In a letter Gooch wrote to the RSPCA, he asked for “every member experiencing difficulty to be supported through the compliance process or be given a derogation.”
He added: “Since the revisions were first introduced in July 2016, I have been pointing out the difficulties many producers will face retrofitting aerial perches into single-tier houses.
“The design of some producers’s houses makes it practically impossible to achieve.
“We are now coming up to crunch time in terms of implementation, and RSPCA Assured must step up to the plate and provide the resources to show how to deliver this new standard imposed on producers.
“Aerial perching places a load of two tonnes per 1,000 birds, and many house structures were not designed to take this extra weight.
“RSPCA Assured should provide time-limited concessions for those attempting to meet the standard, and derogations for those whose house structures are unable to take the loading for the health and safety of both birds and the farmer and their staff.”