Furnished or enriched cages represent an intermediate welfare standard between battery cages and cage-free systems, with genuine improvements but persistent limitations.
Furnished cages represent a genuine but insufficient welfare improvement over conventional battery cages. The provision of a nest box addresses the strongly motivated pre-laying nesting behaviour. The scratch area and perch provide some behavioural expression opportunity. However, the space allowance remains far below what hens require for normal movement and social behaviour, and the scratch area is inadequate for full dust bathing. The welfare science positions furnished cages as a step in the right direction rather than a destination, and the trajectory of corporate commitments and consumer preferences is toward full cage-free systems. The welfare case for continued improvement beyond furnished cages is robust.