The cage-free egg transition represents a significant welfare improvement, but cage-free systems have their own welfare challenges that require careful management.
The cage-free transition is genuinely positive for hen welfare — freedom to move, perch, nest, and dust-bathe addresses deprivations that battery cages impose. However, the transition does not automatically deliver welfare improvement; system management quality determines outcomes. Poorly managed cage-free flocks can have higher stress and injury rates than well-managed enriched colony cages. Keel bone fractures — from poor perch design and hen falls — cause chronic pain in a significant proportion of birds. Pecking injuries require beak treatment management. The welfare goal is not just cage-free designation but systems that provide meaningful behavioral opportunities with mortality and injury rates that reflect genuine welfare benefit over conventional systems.