Farm Animal Welfare

Poultry Welfare and Colony Cage Design

Colony cages for laying hens represent a compromise between conventional battery cages and cage-free systems. Their welfare outcomes depend critically on design quality.

Key Facts

Colony cages must provide perches, nest boxes and scratch areas under EU law
Space allowances in colony cages remain below natural behavioural thresholds
Keel bone fractures remain a significant problem even in well-designed colony systems
Colony cages reduce hen mortality compared to cage-free systems in some studies
Consumer and retailer pressure is driving the phase-out of colony cages in many markets

Welfare Considerations

Colony cage welfare is better than battery cage welfare but remains compromised relative to cage-free or free-range systems. The direction of travel in welfare-conscious markets is toward cage-free.

What You Can Do

Choose eggs from free-range or higher-welfare cage-free systems
Support retailer commitments to transition egg supply to cage-free by published deadlines
Advocate for legislated timelines for colony cage phase-out