The cage-free movement has been gaining momentum over the last few years, particularly due to worldwide public concern for animal welfare – leading to a change in the free-range egg production market in many parts of the world.
The shift in cage-free egg consumption didn’t stem from government regulation, but rather from a consumer-led revolution. If measures are imposed by governing authorities, companies such as McDonald’s and Woolworths, an Australian supermarket chain, adapted their way of making business to meet their patrons’ expectations. They even set a timetable for becoming 100% cage-free.
Solutions have been found to a balance between bird welfare and production cost, like trading battery cages for “enriched cages” which contain 100 hens instead of 600 to 700. The birds have more space, toys, and laying quarters equipped with automated collecting devices. Due to a growing awareness of animal welfare, the demand for eggs laid by cage-free hens has increased. Therefore, production has increased, and the costs of production dropped. Cage-free egg production will continue to expand and should take control of the market in 5 to 10 years in most developed countries.
