Corporate and legislative cage-free commitments are transforming egg production globally, but the transition itself introduces new welfare challenges requiring careful management.
Cage-free systems provide more space and allow natural behaviours including dustbathing, perching, and nesting, but introduce challenges including injurious pecking, respiratory disease from litter, and smothering. Poorly managed cage-free systems may have worse welfare outcomes than enriched cages. The transition requires investment in stockperson training, breed selection, and system design. Welfare benefit depends on how cage-free systems are implemented, not simply on the removal of cages.