Final research results report

Abstract

This report presents the findings of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES) regarding the environmental, health, and economic impacts of different egg production systems. The study was conducted over two flock cycles at a commercial egg farm in the Midwest, comparing conventional cage, enriched colony, and cage-free aviary systems. Results indicate hens were able to perform the widest range of behaviors in the aviary, also could perform more diverse behaviors in the enriched colony than in conventional cages. Conventional cage hens had the lowest leg and wing bone strength, with enriched colony hens intermediate. Workers were exposed to higher pollutant concentrations in the aviary house than in either the conventional cage or enriched colony houses. Aviary was the most costly system per dozen eggs for all cost categories evaluated, with costs exceeding the conventional cage system by 30–40 percent. The study concludes that the choice of egg production system depends on the goals of each stakeholder, because these trade-offs between housing systems may be weighed differently. – AI-generated abstract.