Furnished cages were introduced across the EU as a welfare improvement over battery cages, but debate continues about whether they truly meet hens needs.
Furnished cages represent a compromise between the extreme confinement of battery cages and the health risks of aviary systems. Hens can perform some natural behaviours including dust bathing in scratch areas and roosting on perches, but space remains severely limited. Feather pecking and cannibalism are reduced compared to battery cages. However, many animal welfare scientists argue that furnished cages still prevent full expression of motivated behaviours including foraging, ranging, and social choice. Consumer preference is increasingly shifting toward cage-free.