The global shift from battery cages to alternative egg production systems represents one of the largest farm animal welfare transitions in history, though significant welfare challenges remain.
The cage-free transition illustrates the complexity of farm animal welfare improvement — eliminating one set of welfare problems while creating others. Battery cages prevent hens from engaging in any of their natural behavioral repertoire: wing-spreading, dust bathing, perching, and nesting. But cage-free systems without adequate management create feather pecking problems that cause significant injury and suffering. The lesson is that welfare improvement requires addressing the full system, not just the most obviously problematic element. Better cage-free systems with enrichment, appropriate stocking density, and effective management can provide genuinely better welfare than battery cages.