On September 28, the Health Inspection Office held the final session of the year's Happy Furry Kids Living Classes series—"Little Encyclopedia on Caring for Layer Hens"—at the Houli Campus of the Taichung City Animal Shelter. Lin Yu-cheng, the owner of "Yucheng Egg Products" and long-time advocate for the humane care of layer hens, was invited to speak on how layer hens are raised, and explained the "humane care" concepts of free-range, low-density raising and an enriched environment. During the final part of the session, participants had a chance to do some cooking with eggs from chickens that had been humanely raised; while enjoying delicious flavors, everyone also learned the value of eggs and the meaning of humane care.

During his talk, Lin Yu-cheng explained how egg farms typically raise layer hens intensively in "battery cages," which ensure an adequate production rate and economic effectiveness by simplifying the feeding and egg collection process. However, with the rise of concern for animal welfare, numerous egg farms have been adopting more humane raising methods. These methods typically involve giving hens sufficient room for physical activity, such as running, jumping onto a perch, and preening their feathers and sharpening their claws. Humane raising may also include giving the hens covered laying nests, which let the hens lay their eggs at ease in a secluded environment, which accords with the hens' natural instincts and preferences. Lin Yu-cheng further instructed the participants in the best ways to cook cage-free eggs, while letting everyone appreciate cage-free eggs' better flavor and lack of fishy smell. As a result, participants personally experienced the delicious eggs that result from the humane treatment of layer hens.

During this class, Lin Yu-cheng also gave an in-depth discussion of some facts about eggs, and noted that layer hens that are healthy and happy produce the most delicious eggs. Lin emphasized that treating economic animals well will reward us in the form of healthy and natural livestock and poultry products. Of course the emphasis on treating animals well should not be limited to one class or one situation. The Health Inspection Office will therefore continue to use various methods to teach more people how to realize animal welfare in their everyday lives, which will bring greater positive energy into this world. Now that the 2024 Happy Furry Kids Living Classes and Giving Strays a Home—Concern for Animals Talks have ended for the year, the Health Inspection Office is planning a range of even more exciting and rewarding activities, which will continue to publicize the animal protection and owner responsibility concepts.