Battery cage bans have driven significant welfare improvement globally but enriched colony cages remain controversial.
Enriched colony cages, while better than battery cages, still restrict natural behavior significantly. Hens in enriched colonies have limited dustbathing substrate, inadequate perch space, and limited space for wing extension. Barn and free-range systems allow substantially more natural behavior, though without proper management they can have welfare problems of their own. The trend toward cage-free is welfare-positive.