Cage-free commitments have transformed the egg industry, but cage-free alone is not sufficient for good laying hen welfare. Understanding what genuine progress requires helps advocates push further.
Cage-free is a necessary but insufficient welfare improvement for laying hens. Removing the cage addresses severe confinement but does not resolve several significant welfare problems. Keel bone fractures — breaks to the breastbone caused by poor perch design, falls and collisions — affect the majority of commercial laying hens in cage-free and even free-range systems and cause chronic pain that substantially reduces quality of life. Feather pecking, which causes injury and can lead to cannibalism, remains a challenge in cage-free systems without appropriate flock management and enrichment. True welfare progress requires addressing stocking density, flock size, perch design, litter quality, lighting regimes and breed selection, not just the removal of cages. Advocates should continue pushing beyond cage-free commitments toward comprehensive welfare standards.