New requirements for chicken egg producers

From early 2026, any new cage infrastructure for hens must have furnishings. These include:

• perches or platforms
• nest areas
• abrasive devices or an area for scratching. Cages must have at least 1 of the following:
• Scratch areas.
• Claw shortening devices.
• Substrate (such as litter).

Note: In Victoria, caged-egg producers can choose the scratching option that best suits their set up.

Any new cage infrastructure for hens must meet new space allowance requirements. Cages must:

• meet a minimum height to allow   hens to stand naturally
• have a minimum floor space of 1,000 cm2 for a single chicken
• have a minimum floor space of 750 cm2 per chicken when there are 2 or more in a cage.

As proposed in the national standards, all cages must meet these requirements by 2036. Conventional cages will no longer be permitted for use. More information about the implementation of these requirements in Victoria will be available shortly.

Note: specific requirements for furnishings and substrate are listed below.

These changes apply across the different egg production systems. The timing for introducing them depends on the type of system.

Perches and platforms

• By 2032, existing flat deck barns must meet the requirements. Note: “existing” refers to infrastructure that was in place before Victoria’s regulations begin in early 2026.
• By 2036, all cages must meet the requirements (as proposed in the national standards).
• All other systems must meet the requirements when Victoria’s regulations begin in early 2026.

Laying chickens must be provided with:

• perches and or platforms from 8 days of age
• they must have a minimum of 15cm perch or platform space per chicken. This is a current recommendation², which will be mandatory (legal required) in Victoria.
• perches and platforms must be constructed, positioned and maintained to:
  • be raised and not flush with the floor
  • allow birds to always access them, except during the first week of their life, on the day of pick-up or during litter conditioning
  • allow birds to perch in a normal posture and provide appropriate support for their feet
  • minimise the risk of injury to birds
  • minimise vent pecking by birds below and behind, and soiling of birds below.

Scratch areas and claw-shortening devices

• Layer chickens must have access to abrasive devices or areas for scratching.
• Hens in free-range systems already meet this requirement. This is because they have access to an outdoor area where they can scratch.
• Hens in barn systems must be provided with scratch areas or claw-shortening devices.
• For scratching requirements for hens in cages, view ‘Cage infrastructure for laying chickens’  further up this page.

Nest areas

• By early 2026, layer chickens in all systems must be provided with nest areas that they can access from point of lay. This excludes hens in existing cages, which will be required by 2036 (as proposed in the national standards).
• If there is a single nest area, there must be enough space for the bird to enter, sit, turnaround and exit.

There must be a minimum of 1 nest area for every 7 birds or a 1 m² nesting area for every 120 birds from point of lay.

Laying chickens in barns must have access to substrate.

Producers with hens in free-range systems already meet this requirement.

For substrate requirements for hens in cages, view ‘Cage infrastructure for laying chickens’  further up this page.

Substrate is a loose or friable material suitable for pecking, foraging and scratching. For example, it can include:

• feed pellets
• organic litter materials, such as wood shavings, rice hulls, chopped straw or sawdust
• grass, soil or dirt on an outdoor range (such as in a free-range system)
• pecking blocks or stones.

Chickens must not be exposed to continuous light or darkness for any 24-hour period. This is except for chicks raised under heat lamps or in brooders.

Chickens must be provided a minimum of 6 hours of darkness for any 24-hour period. This includes an uninterrupted period of darkness of at least 4 hours, except:

• for chickens up to 16 weeks of age
• to prevent huddling or clumping during very hot weather
• on the day of pickup (the day hens are removed at the end of their production cycle)
• during a disease outbreak under veterinary supervision.

Chicks up to 1 week old must have a minimum of 1 hour of continuous darkness for any 24-hour period. This is except when raised under heat lamps or in brooders.

Sheds must have a light intensity of at least 10 lux at bird level during light periods. This is except under veterinary supervision to control an outbreak of pecking or cannibalism.

Note: light intensity during light periods for young poultry for the first 3 days after hatching must be at least 20 lux at bird level. This is a current recommendation,² which will be mandatory (legally required) in Victoria from early 2026.

Space allowances

Chickens must have enough space to:

• stand
• turnaround
• flap their wings
• all sit at the same time.

For space allow requirements for hens in cages, view the first drop down on the page ‘Cage infrastructure for laying chickens’.

Ventilation

For poultry housed in sheds, ammonia levels must be monitored and recorded. Corrective action must be taken if levels exceed 15 ppm  at bird level.

Actions to reduce ammonia levels can include:

• ensuring ventilation is operating effectively
• keeping litter dry
• reducing stocking densities.

Note: records can be in any format (written or digital). They must be kept for a minimum of 2 years.

Mechanically ventilated sheds must:

• be fitted with a backup power supply tested in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations

• have an automatic alarm system that immediately warns of ventilation failure.

Corrective action must be taken if there are ventilation faults.

Outdoor shelter

These requirements apply to fixed free-range and barn systems.

If a veranda (an enclosed roofed area attached to a building or shed) is provided, it must be designed, constructed and maintained to encourage chickens to use it. The veranda must provide:

• adequate shade and shelter
• adequate air exchange to manage airflow, temperature, humidity and dust
• suitable substrate.

• The vertical space between levels (bottom of 1 level to the bottom of the next) must be a minimum of 45 cm. This does not include nest boxes, perches and platforms.
• Hens must be able to easily access each level.
• Workers must be able to access all levels to observe and reach birds if they are sick or injured.

Remember, as per the existing requirements¹:

• feed and water facilities must be distributed to provide access to all chickens.
• housing must be arranged to minimise manure and litter falling onto chickens.

These changes apply to chickens that can access outdoor range areas external to fixed or mobile sheds.

Reasonable action must be taken to minimise access to poultry feed and drinking water by wild birds. This helps prevent the spread of diseases.

Chickens with access to an outdoor area must be encouraged to use it by being provided with:

• a reasonable number and size of access points
• access to appropriately located shade
• shelter from predators
• opportunities for birds to forage and scratch.

Note: chickens must be adequately feathered before going outdoors.

These changes are for chickens in all types of production systems.

• Incubators must be monitored during hatching. Hatchlings that are found outside the trays must be returned to the tray or placed in brooders as soon as possible.
• Induced moulting (artificially forcing hens to moult) must not be practiced. This is unless it is approved by a relevant Government minister or their delegate.
• Chickens must not be plucked except to remove a small area of feathers for a medical or surgical procedure.
• Hot blade beak trimming must not be used, except in specified circumstances and under veterinary advice.

If it is permitted and necessary to carry out a painful procedure on poultry, such as trimming the beak of a bird that is more than a day old, appropriate pain relief must be administered. This is where a suitable product is registered and available.

A written contingency plan must be developed. This is to minimise the impact of adverse events on poultry welfare in any type of production system.

Adverse events relate to extreme weather, natural disasters, disease, injury and predation. They can include:

• electrical power or systems failure
• breakdown or mechanical failure affecting feed, water or ventilation
• adverse weather that predisposes poultry to heat or cold stress
• fire and flood
• insufficient supply of feed or water
• disease outbreak or injury
• emergency killing and disposal
• other issues specific to the enterprise or poultry being managed.

Where it is necessary to kill chickens outside of slaughtering establishments a person must:

• have the relevant knowledge, experience and skills to be able to humanely kill chickens or be under the direct supervision of someone who does. This is unless the poultry are suffering and need to be killed to prevent undue suffering or there is an unreasonable delay until direct supervision is available.

• take reasonable action to confirm the chicken is dead

• not use equipment that crushes a chicken’s neck

• not spin a chicken by their head to cause cervical dislocation.

Note: the humane killing of poultry is necessary if a bird is suffering from severe distress, disease or injury that cannot be reasonably treated, or there is no prospect of recovery. Killing poultry should be done promptly, safely and humanely.

Requirements until early 2026

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Domestic Fowl) Regulations 2016¹ set out the mandatory (legal) requirements.

Recommendations until early 2026

The Victorian Code of Accepted Farming Practice for the Welfare of Poultry² includes guidance.

Requirements from early 2026

New poultry welfare regulations will replace the current Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Domestic Fowl) Regulations 2016.These regulations will introduce new mandatory (legal) requirements for keeping and housing chickens.

Recommendations from early 2026

• The guidelines in the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry will provide the recommended practices.
• The Victorian Code of Accepted Farming Practice for the Welfare of Poultry will no longer apply.

Note: many of the current recommendations will now become mandatory (legal) requirements under the new regulations.