The difference between battery cages and enriched cages.

What are battery cages?

Battery cages are wire cages stacked in rows, housing egg-laying hens.

Battery cages are used commonly in factory farms in many parts of the world. They are designed to maximise egg production and profit, usually providing hens with less space than an A4 piece of paper.

Despite the progress of the global cage-free movement over the last few years, the vast majority of the world’s 7.5 billion laying hens are still kept in battery cages.

Why are battery cages bad?

Battery cages are bad for hens in many ways.

In these intensive systems, hens suffer greatly. Given the limited space provided and the complete lack of enrichment, hens are prevented from carrying out their natural behaviours. These include nesting, foraging, scratching, perching, and dust bathing.

Not being able to act in these most natural of ways results in great stress and frustration, negatively impacting their wellbeing.

Stress and frustration can result in abnormal behaviours such as feather pecking, which in turn can lead to feather loss, skin damage, and even death.

To avoid this, farmers trim the hen’s beaks using painful methods, either a hot blade or infrared treatment. The hot blade method is banned in some parts of the world, including the UK, and some countries, such as Germany, have banned beak trimming altogether.

The EU ban on battery cages

Due to the extreme welfare concerns, a ban on battery cages was introduced in the EU in 2012. However, battery cages continue to be used in many other countries throughout the world.

The reason for this EU ban on battery cages was evidence that they are bad for hen welfare. However, this did not mean the end of cages for hens. Despite reducing the worst forms of suffering, the ban gave rise to so-called ‘enriched’ cages instead.

What are enriched cages?

The enriched, or furnished, cage was developed to meet the new welfare requirements for laying hens following the 2012 ban. These require a nesting area, perches, litter, and more space for the hens to move around.

Studies showed that hens used the extra space, roosted on the perches and laid almost all their eggs in the nesting areas. These behavioural changes suggested that the enriched cage provided better welfare than the barren battery cages.

Are enriched cages actually better for hens?

Enriched cages, though bigger and furnished, still restrict the natural behaviours of hens.

When given the choice, hens will use extra room, and avoid spaces with a height of less than 46cm; which exceeds the height of many enriched cages. The limited cage height prevents even simple comfort behaviours such as wing flapping and body shaking.

Studies have shown that the wellbeing improvements from enriched cages are minimal, and hens are still cramped, restricted, denied access to natural light and are prone to disease.

The negative effects of egg-farming

Of course, it’s not just about cages. Egg farming in general is bad for the welfare of hens.

In the wild, the natural lifespan of a chicken is between 5-10 years. But in caged farming systems, the lifespan of a hen is just 18 months to 2 years. After this time they cannot produce as many eggs and are sent to slaughter, no longer of use to the farmer.

Selective breeding has resulted in hens that lay up to 300 eggs a year, rather than the 10-15 the wild jungle fowl, the ancestor of the modern chicken, would naturally produce. This is extremely harsh on their tiny bodies, and increases bone breakages due to calcium deficiency in laying hens in all systems.

Large numbers of hens kept in crowded conditions can make inspections difficult. Injuries often go unnoticed and many poor hens are eventually discovered dead.

Egg farming also causes the death of huge numbers of male chicks. Deemed unprofitable by farmers, when male chicks are hatched they are disposed of. This usually involves throwing them - alive and conscious - into a macerator or killing them using gas.

Major welfare improvements have just been announced in France, which include an end to this culling of male chicks. Some corporations, such as Unilever, are also committing to ban this. Hopefully this cruel practice will soon be history around the world.

EU ban on all cages

There is more positive news to share. Following the End the Cage Age campaign, The EU commission has recently voted to ban all cages - for all farmed animals - by 2027.

This legislation still needs to pass parliament and council, and the date has not been set in stone, but it is hugely positive and an incredible win for the welfare of laying hens. This would mean the end of all cages, including supposedly ‘enriched’ ones.

How you can help hens

Despite this progress, we still have a long way to go before cages are banned worldwide. But you can join the fight. There are many ways you can help egg-laying hens.

As an individual, you can reduce your egg consumption or cut them out entirely. If more people stop supporting the egg industry, fewer hens will suffer. It's easier than you may think! Find tips on how to cook and bake without eggs in our blog.

Want to make a difference for animals? Join thousands of others and start by signing the petition below, it'll only take a moment.