Farmed Animals

Colony Cage Welfare for Laying Hens

Colony or enriched cages represent an improvement over battery cages but fall short of higher-welfare systems for laying hens.

Key Facts

Colony cages replaced barren battery cages in the EU after 2012 with more space and some enrichment
Colony cage hens have access to perches, nest boxes, and scratch areas but in very limited dimensions
Most welfare behaviours are partially satisfied in colony cages rather than fully expressed
Campaign targets from major welfare organisations are cage-free, not colony cage, systems
Several countries and corporate pledges have committed to cage-free as the minimum standard

Welfare Considerations

Colony cages represent genuine welfare improvement over barren battery cages but do not provide adequate space or enrichment for hens to express most natural behaviours fully. The welfare movement has appropriately moved the target beyond colony cages to cage-free systems. Consumer choices and corporate commitments should reflect this higher standard.

What You Can Do

Choose cage-free, free-range, or organic eggs rather than enriched/colony cage eggs
Support corporate cage-free commitments that go beyond colony cage standards
Advocate for cage-free as the minimum standard in welfare legislation
Engage with supermarkets about their egg supply chain welfare commitments
Share information about the difference between colony and cage-free eggs with other consumers