Enriched colony cages replaced barren battery cages across the EU in 2012, providing more space and some behavioural resources, but remain controversial among welfare experts who argue they still prevent adequate expression of natural behaviours.
Enriched colony cages represent a compromise: meaningfully better than barren battery cages, but still far from meeting hens's full behavioural needs. The nest box satisfies the strong motivation to lay in a private space. Perches allow natural roosting. Litter enables some dustbathing behaviour. However, space constraints prevent full wing extension and running, and the colony environment still restricts the range of natural foraging, social, and exploratory behaviours. Welfare scientists generally regard enriched colonies as an intermediate step rather than an endpoint. Consumer and regulatory pressure continues to drive producers toward cage-free systems, though transition rates vary substantially by region.