The global transition away from conventional battery cages toward enriched and cage-free systems represents one of the most significant shifts in poultry welfare history.
The transition from conventional battery cages to enriched or cage-free systems represents genuine welfare progress, but the full picture is nuanced. While cage-free systems allow more behavioral freedom, they also present new challenges including higher rates of feather pecking, increased predation risk in free-range systems, and poorer air quality in some barn designs. Keel bone fractures - a painful condition affecting a majority of hens in many systems - are more common in some aviary designs than cages. Genuine welfare improvement requires attention to system design, stocking density, litter quality, and genetic selection rather than simply removing cage bars.