Enriched cages for laying hens represent an improvement over conventional battery cages but fall significantly short of welfare standards achievable in cage-free systems.
Enriched cages represent regulatory compromise rather than genuine welfare achievement. The additional 200 cm² and minimal furnishings of enriched cages do not meaningfully address the behavioral frustration created by extreme confinement. Hens in enriched cages still cannot spread their wings fully, cannot dustbathe adequately, cannot express natural foraging behavior at any meaningful scale, and remain in conditions that cause chronic frustration. The comparison point of conventional battery cages should not be used to argue that enriched cages are adequate — they are merely less bad.