Quantifying the welfare impact of the transition to indoor cage-free housing systems

Abstract

Laying hens raised in cage-free systems experience significantly less pain compared with hens raised in conventional cages. We quantify the pain endured by laying hens in different housing systems, estimating the total time each hen spends in different categories of pain intensity. Our analysis indicates that cage-free aviaries are clearly superior to conventional cages and furnished cages in terms of animal welfare. The main welfare concerns in cage-free aviaries are keel bone fractures and injurious pecking, while in caged systems, the deprivation of highly motivated behaviors is the major source of pain. – AI-generated abstract.