Even in enriched cage and free-range systems for laying hens, the quality of enrichment provided varies enormously and determines whether hens can express their natural behavioral repertoire.
The transition from battery cages to enriched alternatives has improved laying hen welfare but left a wide gap between legal minimum and genuinely good welfare. Enriched colony cages provide the minimum elements of a nesting box, perch, and scratch area in spaces that remain highly restrictive per bird. High rates of feather pecking in these systems indicate that minimum enrichment standards fail to meet hens' behavioral needs. Even in free-range systems, the quality of enrichment provision - litter management, perch positioning, range vegetation, and stocking density - determines whether hens actually express natural behaviors. The standard of demonstrably good welfare requires more than meeting the letter of legislation.