Farmed Animals

Battery Cage Hens: The Global Welfare Challenge

Despite EU bans on conventional battery cages, enriched cages and conventional cages remain widespread globally, affecting billions of laying hens.

Key Facts

Conventional battery cages provide 430cm2 per hen — less than a sheet of paper
EU banned conventional cages in 2012 but still permits enriched cages
Over 9 billion laying hens globally are still kept in conventional cages
The US has seen multiple state-level cage-free ballot initiatives pass

Welfare Considerations

Conventional battery cages prevent all natural behaviors including nesting, dustbathing, perching, and wing-spreading. Hens cannot perform motivated behaviors despite showing evidence of frustration. Enriched cages allow marginally more behavior but fall far short of genuine welfare. Cage-free systems, though not perfect, allow significantly more natural behavior expression.

What You Can Do

Choose only cage-free eggs with verified third-party certification
Support corporate cage-free egg commitments with your purchasing
Advocate for cage-free legislation in your state or country
Engage food companies about timelines for cage-free transitions