Laying Hen Welfare Through the Production Cycle

Laying hen welfare challenges evolve through different stages of the production cycle, from the pullet rearing period through peak lay and into the late lay period when health deteriorates and welfare decisions about flock retention must be made.

Key Facts

Pullets reared in aviary systems before moving to laying facilities adapt more successfully to multi-tier housing than those reared in floor systems
Peak lay periods of 90%+ production create high physiological demand that increases disease susceptibility and nutritional requirements
Late lay hens — those retained beyond 72 weeks — show increasing rates of bone loss, reproductive tract pathology, and welfare deterioration
Forced moulting using feed withdrawal to extend production beyond normal cycles is banned in the EU but practised in some countries including the USA
Depopulation of end-of-lay hens presents welfare challenges — gas killing is considered more humane than live shackling and slaughter
Spent hen markets are limited in many countries, creating economic pressure to depopulate early in some markets and keep hens too long in others
Beak condition, plumage score, and body weight trajectory provide practical welfare indicators that can be monitored regularly through the laying cycle

Welfare Considerations

Laying hen welfare is a lifecycle management challenge that extends from pullet housing design through the decisions made at end of lay. The welfare trajectory through the cycle follows a predictable pattern — early adaptation challenges, peak lay physiological stress, and late-lay health deterioration — that well-informed management can address proactively. Late-lay welfare is particularly important and often neglected: hens retained beyond the point where welfare outweighs productivity experience increasing bone fragility, reproductive tract disease, and poor body condition. Monitoring welfare indicators throughout the cycle and making proactive depopulation decisions before welfare deteriorates severely is more ethical than extending production until hens are visibly suffering.

What You Can Do

Support egg producers that conduct regular welfare monitoring throughout the laying cycle
Advocate for welfare-based depopulation timing standards that prevent late-lay welfare deterioration
Engage food companies about their requirements for laying cycle welfare monitoring in supply chain farms
Oppose forced moulting practices where they remain legal in your country
Support research into welfare indicators that enable proactive management through the laying cycle
Donate to organisations working on laying hen welfare standards through the full production cycle
Choose eggs from producers with certified welfare monitoring across the complete laying cycle