The EU ban on conventional battery cages for laying hens in 2012 was one of the largest animal welfare policy reforms in history. Over 300 million hens were required to transition to enriched colony cages — but welfare science reveals that enriched colonies still fail to meet hens' behavioural needs adequately.
Enriched colony cages allow marginally more movement than battery cages but remain inadequate for laying hens' complex behavioural needs. Nest boxes often cannot accommodate all hens simultaneously during peak laying, causing competition and floor eggs. Perch space is frequently insufficient for all hens to perch concurrently. Dust-bathing — one of the most strongly motivated behaviours in hens — cannot be adequately performed on the scratch mat provided. Feather pecking and cannibalism are higher in enriched colonies than in well-managed free-range systems, reflecting chronic frustration. Welfare science is unambiguous: hens in cage-free systems with adequate enrichment, perch, and range access have substantially better welfare outcomes.