A LIFETIME IN A CRAMPED CAGE
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Why they're used
Battery cages – called conventional cages – are what most laying hens in the world have to live in (named as such because “the cages resemble the cells in a large battery”). Here is a video (in favor of battery cages) of a massive one in China.
Battery cages are used to achieve high density, by being stacked on top of one another. A single egg-producing factory farm may confine thousands of hens at a time in these stacked cages, and thus produce thousands of eggs per day.
Battery cages are used to achieve high density, by being stacked on top of one another. A single egg-producing factory farm may confine thousands of hens at a time in these stacked cages, and thus produce thousands of eggs per day.
Layer hens—meaning chickens who lay eggs—are kept in these cages for the whole duration of their lives, where they lay roughly an egg per day until they are sent to the slaughterhouse.
In the U.S., the majority of layer hens are kept in battery cages. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in the year 2020 close to 74 percent of the national layer hen flock were still kept in cages, amounting to around 243 million hens. (https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/)
In the U.S., the majority of layer hens are kept in battery cages. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in the year 2020 close to 74 percent of the national layer hen flock were still kept in cages, amounting to around 243 million hens. (https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/)
Problems
Problems
Battery cages present inherent animal welfare problems, most notably by their small size and barren conditions. (https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/cage-free-vs-battery-cage-eggs)
Battery cages “prevent chickens from engaging in most of their natural behaviors, including perching, roosting, dust-bathing, foraging, and exploring. It is nesting behaviors, however, that stand out as being particularly harmful to suppress in hens. Under normal circumstances, hens search out private places in order to construct nests before laying eggs. In battery cages, these desires are stifled, manifesting instead as repetitive stress-induced behaviors (such as pecking at other chickens); general restlessness; or “vacuum” nesting, where a hen essentially mimes creating a nest.” (https://thehumaneleague.org/article/battery-cages)
Each battery cage is about 67 square inches. Each bird is given so little living space that they cannot stretch their necks upwards or fully open their wings, let alone run, jump, or do anything else a hen might do in more natural settings. (https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/) To better imagine: each chicken is given 2/3 the size of a piece of notebook paper. That’s it, for life.
Battery cages “prevent chickens from engaging in most of their natural behaviors, including perching, roosting, dust-bathing, foraging, and exploring. It is nesting behaviors, however, that stand out as being particularly harmful to suppress in hens. Under normal circumstances, hens search out private places in order to construct nests before laying eggs. In battery cages, these desires are stifled, manifesting instead as repetitive stress-induced behaviors (such as pecking at other chickens); general restlessness; or “vacuum” nesting, where a hen essentially mimes creating a nest.” (https://thehumaneleague.org/article/battery-cages)
Each battery cage is about 67 square inches. Each bird is given so little living space that they cannot stretch their necks upwards or fully open their wings, let alone run, jump, or do anything else a hen might do in more natural settings. (https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/) To better imagine: each chicken is given 2/3 the size of a piece of notebook paper. That’s it, for life.
Due to a complete lack of exercise, osteoporosis, a condition that can lead to brittle, easily broken bones, is rampant among battery cage hens.
"Chickens are intelligent, curious, and gentle creatures by nature who are used to perching in trees at night to evade predators and wandering over great distances in order to forage for food and explore their territory. Confining any species within what is essentially a small box for the duration of their lives would slowly drive them mad, and this is the case for chickens too.
"Chickens normally lead complex social lives, and this is where the term “pecking order” originated. But in the severely restricted conditions of battery cages, the social order entirely breaks down. Hens cannot avoid one another, and dominance hierarchies cannot be safely established or maintained, leading to aggression that hens cannot escape. Beak trimming is the inadequate response from the egg industry—an attempt to cure the symptom rather than the underlying causes of aggression in chickens.
"Overgrown claws are another foot problem. In the wild, hens constantly scratch in the ground and walk on a variety of surfaces that naturally file down their nails. In battery cages there are no such abrasive materials, allowing nails to become overgrown. Curling nails can then catch around the wire floor of the cage, causing tears in the flesh and sometimes trapping the birds entirely, preventing them from accessing food and water and ultimately leading to their death." (https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/)
"Chickens are intelligent, curious, and gentle creatures by nature who are used to perching in trees at night to evade predators and wandering over great distances in order to forage for food and explore their territory. Confining any species within what is essentially a small box for the duration of their lives would slowly drive them mad, and this is the case for chickens too.
"Chickens normally lead complex social lives, and this is where the term “pecking order” originated. But in the severely restricted conditions of battery cages, the social order entirely breaks down. Hens cannot avoid one another, and dominance hierarchies cannot be safely established or maintained, leading to aggression that hens cannot escape. Beak trimming is the inadequate response from the egg industry—an attempt to cure the symptom rather than the underlying causes of aggression in chickens.
"Overgrown claws are another foot problem. In the wild, hens constantly scratch in the ground and walk on a variety of surfaces that naturally file down their nails. In battery cages there are no such abrasive materials, allowing nails to become overgrown. Curling nails can then catch around the wire floor of the cage, causing tears in the flesh and sometimes trapping the birds entirely, preventing them from accessing food and water and ultimately leading to their death." (https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/)
Counter-arguments (and counters to them)
1) Battery cages are said to reduce aggression and cannibalism (severe pecking attacks) among hens. Thus, part of the argument is as follows: without battery cages, prices would go up because more workers would be needed to patrol and prevent fighting. Additionally, operations (indoors) without battery cages are also dirtier, since chickens can go anywhere.
- counter: Prices would indeed rise with more needed workers, but consumers will pay more if chickens are raised humanely. This is especially true because humanely-raised chickens are more nutritious to eat, and produce more nutritious eggs (https://buildingourrez.com/egg-nutrition-201-battery-cage-cage-free-free-range-organic-pasture-raised/).
- counter: The health benefits that the chickens derive from having space to move their bodies far outweigh the drawbacks (more need to clean chicken space; more need for workers to patrol to prevent fighting). Additionally, studies have shown that eating free-range or even cage-free chicken meat is healthier than eating that of caged, sick chickens (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26878675/).
2) If prices are the only goal (as opposed to improving one’s own health, and for chickens mitigating misery, suffering, and a hellish existence) then battery cages should be championed.
- counter: The birds stuck in tiny cages have less aggression because they have less energy, and can never stretch nor do anything natural to them; they are unhealthy, and they are producing less nutritious eggs (refer to counter, above).
3) Battery cages are used in intensive agricultural operations that prioritize productivity and profits, which are achieved by expending the fewest resources per unit of production. In egg production, as with factory farming scenarios involving other species, space is at a premium — so providing birds with as little of it as possible saves companies money. Tightly confining chickens also enables greater control over their bodies, and more control means that less time is required from farmworkers. (https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/)
- counter: It is true that this will save money in the short term. However, as shown above, the meat will be less healthy, which will cost consumers in the long term. Additionally, 78% of consumers are often willing to pay more if they know that their meat is raised humanely. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6116027/)
- counter: Prices would indeed rise with more needed workers, but consumers will pay more if chickens are raised humanely. This is especially true because humanely-raised chickens are more nutritious to eat, and produce more nutritious eggs (https://buildingourrez.com/egg-nutrition-201-battery-cage-cage-free-free-range-organic-pasture-raised/).
- counter: The health benefits that the chickens derive from having space to move their bodies far outweigh the drawbacks (more need to clean chicken space; more need for workers to patrol to prevent fighting). Additionally, studies have shown that eating free-range or even cage-free chicken meat is healthier than eating that of caged, sick chickens (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26878675/).
2) If prices are the only goal (as opposed to improving one’s own health, and for chickens mitigating misery, suffering, and a hellish existence) then battery cages should be championed.
- counter: The birds stuck in tiny cages have less aggression because they have less energy, and can never stretch nor do anything natural to them; they are unhealthy, and they are producing less nutritious eggs (refer to counter, above).
3) Battery cages are used in intensive agricultural operations that prioritize productivity and profits, which are achieved by expending the fewest resources per unit of production. In egg production, as with factory farming scenarios involving other species, space is at a premium — so providing birds with as little of it as possible saves companies money. Tightly confining chickens also enables greater control over their bodies, and more control means that less time is required from farmworkers. (https://sentientmedia.org/battery-cage/)
- counter: It is true that this will save money in the short term. However, as shown above, the meat will be less healthy, which will cost consumers in the long term. Additionally, 78% of consumers are often willing to pay more if they know that their meat is raised humanely. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6116027/)
Legislation examples
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Areas bolded below are indicated by EZAR to be preferable, and have been included in our state law templates.
Much of the information below was sourced from the ASPCA, here.
In 2010 California passed a proposition banning the in-state sale of eggs that come from hens housed in battery cages by 2015. In 2018 California passed another ballot measure, strengthening its cage and crate-free standards for laying hens by 2020 and again by 2022
Massachusetts passed a ballot measure [PDF] in 2016 banning the use of battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates as well as banning the in-state sale of products from any of these confinement systems by 2022. It also passed legislation in 2021 updating the battery cage ban to include specific space requirements and a sales ban on egg products, in addition to shell eggs, and extending the gestation crate ban phase-in to take effect August 15, 2022.
Michigan passed legislation in 2009 phasing out battery cages by 2019, gestation crates by 2019 and veal crates by 2012. Passed legislation in 2019 extending the battery cage and gestation crate phase out timeline to 2025 and 2020 respectively, and banning the in-state sale of products from battery cage systems by 2025.
Nevada passed legislation in 2021 phasing out battery cages by 2024 and banning the in-state sale of products from battery cage systems by July 2022.
Oregon passed legislation in 2007 phasing out gestation crates by 2012. Passed legislation in 2019 phasing out battery cages and banning the in-state sale of products from battery cage systems by 2024.
Washington passed legislation in 2011 phasing out battery cages by 2024. It also passed legislation [PDF] in 2019 banning the in-state sale of products from battery cage systems by 2024.
Much of the information below was sourced from the ASPCA, here.
In 2010 California passed a proposition banning the in-state sale of eggs that come from hens housed in battery cages by 2015. In 2018 California passed another ballot measure, strengthening its cage and crate-free standards for laying hens by 2020 and again by 2022
Massachusetts passed a ballot measure [PDF] in 2016 banning the use of battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates as well as banning the in-state sale of products from any of these confinement systems by 2022. It also passed legislation in 2021 updating the battery cage ban to include specific space requirements and a sales ban on egg products, in addition to shell eggs, and extending the gestation crate ban phase-in to take effect August 15, 2022.
Michigan passed legislation in 2009 phasing out battery cages by 2019, gestation crates by 2019 and veal crates by 2012. Passed legislation in 2019 extending the battery cage and gestation crate phase out timeline to 2025 and 2020 respectively, and banning the in-state sale of products from battery cage systems by 2025.
Nevada passed legislation in 2021 phasing out battery cages by 2024 and banning the in-state sale of products from battery cage systems by July 2022.
Oregon passed legislation in 2007 phasing out gestation crates by 2012. Passed legislation in 2019 phasing out battery cages and banning the in-state sale of products from battery cage systems by 2024.
Washington passed legislation in 2011 phasing out battery cages by 2024. It also passed legislation [PDF] in 2019 banning the in-state sale of products from battery cage systems by 2024.
State law template
Caveat: each state has different laws and different requirements for passing laws. These are the bare bones, which we will reform for each individual state, as we push for these laws to be implemented in each one.
- From DATE forward, all laying hens in the state must be housed in a cage-free manner, and all eggs sold in the state must come from hens housed in a cage-free manner, in a “Cage-free housing system”, an indoor or outdoor controlled environment for egg-laying hens within which hens are free to roam unrestricted, are provided enrichments that allow them to exhibit natural behaviors, including, at a minimum, scratch areas, perches, nest boxes and dust bathing areas, and within which farm employees can provide care while standing within the hens’ usable floor space; provided, however, that “cage-free housing system” shall include, to the extent that such systems comply with the requirements of this definition, multi-tiered aviaries, partially-slatted systems, single-level all litter floor systems and any future systems that will comply with the requirements of this definition; provided further, that “cage-free housing system” shall not include systems commonly described as “battery cages”, “colony cages”, “enriched cages”, “enriched colony cages”, “modified cages”, “convertible cages” or “furnished 24 cages” or other similar cage systems.
- One square foot of usable floor space per hen if the hens have unfettered access to vertical space; or 1.5 square feet of usable floor space per hen if the hens do not have unfettered access to vertical space.
- Authorizes the commissioner of agriculture to impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation
- The following are exempt from the act's requirements:
• Veterinary procedures;
• Transportation;
• Slaughter;
• Temporary confinement in connection with animal husbandry;
- Prohibits the distribution of eggs and egg products into STATE sourced from producers who are still using production systems inconsistent with this bill (e.g., battery cages) by DATE.
- From DATE forward, all laying hens in the state must be housed in a cage-free manner, and all eggs sold in the state must come from hens housed in a cage-free manner, in a “Cage-free housing system”, an indoor or outdoor controlled environment for egg-laying hens within which hens are free to roam unrestricted, are provided enrichments that allow them to exhibit natural behaviors, including, at a minimum, scratch areas, perches, nest boxes and dust bathing areas, and within which farm employees can provide care while standing within the hens’ usable floor space; provided, however, that “cage-free housing system” shall include, to the extent that such systems comply with the requirements of this definition, multi-tiered aviaries, partially-slatted systems, single-level all litter floor systems and any future systems that will comply with the requirements of this definition; provided further, that “cage-free housing system” shall not include systems commonly described as “battery cages”, “colony cages”, “enriched cages”, “enriched colony cages”, “modified cages”, “convertible cages” or “furnished 24 cages” or other similar cage systems.
- One square foot of usable floor space per hen if the hens have unfettered access to vertical space; or 1.5 square feet of usable floor space per hen if the hens do not have unfettered access to vertical space.
- Authorizes the commissioner of agriculture to impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation
- The following are exempt from the act's requirements:
• Veterinary procedures;
• Transportation;
• Slaughter;
• Temporary confinement in connection with animal husbandry;
- Prohibits the distribution of eggs and egg products into STATE sourced from producers who are still using production systems inconsistent with this bill (e.g., battery cages) by DATE.
Further goals for chickens after this is accomplished
- mandate provision of actual sunlight (instead of light manipulation) + access to outdoors (instead of “cage-free” and kept perpetually inside)
- regulate diet of chickens: “The chickens are generally fed standard laying hen feed is majority cheap grains / grain legumes, e.g. corn, wheat, soy with a multivitamin sprinkled in and a few probiotics. Mother Earth News suggests that chickens naturally eat the following: green plants, seeds found in the wild, earthworms, insects, and all sorts of grubs. When synthetically derived vitamins weren’t previously necessary to a hen’s diet, now they are because “grain by-products” won’t offer these chickens the nutrition they need to survive and thrive. Does a suboptimal diet yield suboptimal eggs?” (https://buildingourrez.com/egg-nutrition-201-battery-cage-cage-free-free-range-organic-pasture-raised/)
- regulate diet of chickens: “The chickens are generally fed standard laying hen feed is majority cheap grains / grain legumes, e.g. corn, wheat, soy with a multivitamin sprinkled in and a few probiotics. Mother Earth News suggests that chickens naturally eat the following: green plants, seeds found in the wild, earthworms, insects, and all sorts of grubs. When synthetically derived vitamins weren’t previously necessary to a hen’s diet, now they are because “grain by-products” won’t offer these chickens the nutrition they need to survive and thrive. Does a suboptimal diet yield suboptimal eggs?” (https://buildingourrez.com/egg-nutrition-201-battery-cage-cage-free-free-range-organic-pasture-raised/)