Enriched colony cages provide more space and enrichment than battery cages but remain controversial, with welfare scientists debating whether they adequately meet the behavioural needs of laying hens.
Enriched cage welfare represents a contested space in farm animal welfare science. The transition from battery cages clearly improved welfare by allowing hens to express more natural behaviour including perching, nesting, and scratching. However, the space and complexity provided in enriched cages is limited compared to barns and free-range systems. Paradoxically, the welfare advantage of free-range and barn systems over enriched cages is not straightforward because keel bone fractures - a major welfare problem - are actually more frequent in non-cage systems where hens move more. This illustrates the complexity of welfare assessment: more natural behaviour does not always produce better welfare outcomes across all dimensions.