Farm Animal Welfare

Laying Hen Range Enrichment and Use

Free-range laying hens often fail to use outdoor ranges due to lack of cover and enrichment, reducing the welfare benefit of the free-range system.

Key Facts

Up to 80% of free-range hens may remain indoors in systems without range cover
Provision of trees, shrubs or artificial shelters dramatically increases range use
Cover enables hens to express foraging behaviour with reduced predation fear
Range quality is not currently included in most free-range certification schemes
Hens that use ranges show lower feather damage and higher positive affective states

Welfare Considerations

Free-range certification without range quality monitoring delivers limited welfare benefit over barn systems if hens cannot safely access outdoor areas. Wooded or sheltered ranges that encourage use by the majority of hens provide substantially better outcomes.

What You Can Do

Choose free-range or organic eggs from farms with documented high range use
Support campaigns for range quality standards in free-range certification
Visit farms or seek transparency about outdoor access quality