Livestock

Furnished Cage Welfare for Laying Hens

Furnished (enriched) cages provide perches, nest boxes and scratch areas compared to conventional battery cages, but remain controversial as a welfare compromise compared to cage-free systems.

Key Facts

The EU banned conventional battery cages for laying hens in 2012
Furnished cages must provide at least 750cm2 per hen including a nest box, perch and litter area
Research shows furnished cages reduce but do not eliminate the welfare deficits of conventional cages
The UK and many EU member states are debating further cage bans for furnished systems

Welfare Considerations

Furnished cages improve on battery cage welfare by providing minimal access to nesting, perching and scratch behaviours. However, space allowances remain far below what hens require to perform natural behaviour fully. Bone strength, feather condition and the ability to avoid aggressive pen-mates all remain compromised relative to cage-free systems.

What You Can Do

Choose free-range or barn eggs rather than caged eggs when available
Support campaigns for a complete cage-free transition in UK and EU laying hen production
Ask food service providers and manufacturers to publish their cage-free transition commitments
Support legislative campaigns to set firm deadlines for cage-free transitions