Research into laying hen enrichment has moved beyond basic requirements to identify specific features that enable expression of the full behavioral repertoire needed for good welfare in commercial production.
The science of laying hen enrichment has advanced considerably beyond the question of whether enrichment helps to the question of exactly which elements matter most and why. Research into behavioral priorities, using preference tests and motivation measures, reveals that nesting and dustbathing are the behaviors hens will work hardest to access, indicating the strongest motivational drives. This means that systems which provide perches but inadequate nesting or dustbathing space are failing the most critical welfare needs. The challenge for commercial producers is that the features most important for hen welfare, including deep litter for dustbathing and private, darkened nesting areas, are also the most difficult to implement at scale. Progressive producers and welfare certification bodies are increasingly designing systems around these evidence-based behavioral priorities.