Laying hens have a rich behavioral repertoire shaped by millions of years of evolution that intensive production systems systematically prevent, with significant welfare consequences.
Behavioral restriction is a core welfare harm in conventional poultry production. Hens denied the ability to dustbathe, forage, perch, and nest in natural conditions perform these behaviors in attenuated, frustrated forms — pressing against cage walls, performing vacuum dustbathing on wire, pacing before egg-laying without access to nests. These behavioral indicators reveal the depth of motivational frustration experienced by confined birds. Systems that allow genuine expression of these behaviors — well-designed cage-free with foraging substrate, nest boxes, and functional perches — deliver qualitatively different welfare outcomes than systems that nominally tick compliance boxes.