Cage-free systems for laying hens represent a meaningful welfare improvement over battery cages, but come with their own welfare challenges that must be managed.
The transition from battery cages to cage-free systems represents genuine welfare progress for laying hens, but the transition also brings welfare challenges that require active management. Keel bone fractures - breaks to the bird's sternum from falls and collisions - affect 50-80% of hens in some cage-free systems, causing chronic pain that is potentially worse than some battery cage welfare problems in affected individuals. High-density cage-free systems can produce worse air quality and more disease pressure than smaller flocks. Feather pecking and cannibalism can occur in cage-free flocks, requiring beak trimming interventions that carry their own welfare implications. These problems are management-dependent - well-designed systems with appropriate stocking density, good air quality, and appropriate flock sizes can achieve good welfare outcomes while avoiding the worst cage-free challenges.