The global transition toward cage-free egg production is the largest structural shift in farm animal welfare in decades, with implementation quality determining whether welfare gains for hens are realized or merely assumed.
The cage-free transition represents enormous welfare potential — hundreds of billions of hens moving from systems where wing spreading is impossible to systems where it is permitted. But the welfare gain is not automatic. Cage-free systems poorly managed with inadequate enrichment, excessive stocking density, and insufficient light can have higher mortality and comparable suffering to well-managed cage systems. Implementation quality monitoring and third-party auditing are essential to ensure the transition delivers promised welfare improvements.