Layer hen welfare has been transformed by the global shift from battery cages toward enriched colony cages and cage-free systems, though challenges remain in all systems.
Layer hen welfare improvement through cage elimination has been one of the most significant farm animal welfare policy advances of recent decades. However, cage elimination does not automatically equate to good welfare — cage-free systems with poor management, inadequate enrichment, and high-density housing create different but equally significant welfare challenges. Keel bone fractures affecting the majority of cage-free hens in many studies represent a welfare problem requiring improved perch design, breed selection, and management changes in better-welfare systems. Continuing to improve welfare within cage-free frameworks is as important as completing the transition from battery cages.