Many countries have banned battery cages for laying hens, but enforcement gaps and slow timelines leave billions of birds in inadequate housing.
Battery cages prevent hens from performing nearly all natural behaviors: dustbathing, foraging, wing-stretching, and nesting. The frustration of these drives causes chronic stress. While cage-free systems improve on battery cages, they still fall short of high-welfare standards that include outdoor access, enrichment, and low stocking density.