The global transition from battery cages to enriched and cage-free systems for laying hens is one of the most significant welfare reforms in modern animal agriculture.
The laying hen welfare transition represents both the largest welfare reform underway in animal agriculture and a case study in the limitations of incremental improvement. Enriched cages provide welfare improvements over conventional cages but still significantly restrict behavioral expression compared to cage-free systems. Cage-free transitions can create new welfare problems - bone fractures from active systems, feather pecking from high density - that require management attention. The welfare trajectory from conventional cages to enriched cages to cage-free to free-range represents genuine improvement, but the speed of progress depends on consumer choices, retailer purchasing policies, and regulatory requirements.