Farm Animals

Enriched Cages for Laying Hens

Conventional battery cages were banned in the EU in 2012, but enriched cages (colony cages) remain legal and are used for millions of hens. Their welfare improvement over battery cages is disputed.

Key Facts

Around 40% of EU laying hens are still in enriched cage systems
An enriched cage provides 750 cm2 per hen - the size of an A4 sheet of paper
Enriched cages include a nest box, perch, and scratch area
Hens in enriched cages still cannot spread their wings fully
The EU Farm to Fork strategy proposed banning enriched cages by 2027

Welfare Considerations

Enriched cages offer marginal improvements over battery cages but fail to meet the behavioural needs of laying hens. The nest box area is shared and often monopolised by dominant hens. Perch use is limited by space. Dust bathing cannot occur on wire flooring. Keel bone fractures - causing chronic pain - affect 50-80% of hens in cage systems. The European Citizens Initiative 'End the Cage Age' collected 1.4 million signatures demanding a cage ban.

What You Can Do

Buy only free-range or organic eggs
Encourage family members and businesses to switch to cage-free
Support the EU cage ban proposal through advocacy
Ask cafes and restaurants about their egg sourcing
Support Humane Society International Europe cage-free campaigns