Hen Housing Systems: Page 18

Egg Production
Will the cage-free housing of choice be combi systems?
The U.S. egg industry is going cage free as major egg buyers pledge to no longer serve eggs from birds raised in cages. With those pledges maturing soon, and a massive increase in cage-free supply needed, farmers are weighing their options for housing.
Image courtesy of Valli Spa.
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Hen Housing Systems
8 US aviary suppliers that can help you go cage-free
Avaries utilize house space better than floor and nest systems and are less likely to be confused with a cage than convertible or combi systems.
Valli Spa Space Aviary
Hen Housing Systems
Cage-free floor systems trade density for freedom
Floor systems are a good choice for farmers who want to go cage-free but are dealing with space or financial constraints. However, due to the system’s single-tier layout, it is the least effective cage-free system in terms the number of birds it can house.
Image courtesy of Vencomatic Group.
Egg Production
Combination cage-free hen housing, solution or compromise?
Combi, or combination, -style housing can offer the best of both worlds to producers uncertain about the long-term appeal of cage-free eggs. However, the systems run the risk of eventual rejection by North American welfare certifying bodies or consumers.
(Andrea Gantz)
Egg Production
Are aviaries the right cage-free choice for your farm?
Cage-free purchase pledges by egg buyers who purchase approximately 60 percent of the U.S. egg output are driving a flurry of purchases of cage-free housing systems by U.S. egg companies. These systems can be classified into three general categories: convertible or combi-, floor and nest, and aviaries.
Jansen Comfort 2 Aviary System
Cage-Free Laying Systems
5 cage-free aviary facts egg producers should know
Like it or not, cage-free is becoming the defining trend in the U.S. egg industry, and the country’s producers will need to adapt operations and housing to supply their customers.
G Baden, Freeimages.com
Cage-Free Laying Systems
6th freedom is the real problem with cage-free hens
There are five freedoms that animal welfare advocates say need to be provided to animals; freedom from hunger and thirst; from discomfort; from pain, injury or disease; from fear and distress; and to express normal behaviors. When housing laying hens cage-free, it is the freedom to express normal behaviors that leads to the most problems.
Cage-free hens have the freedom to defecate wherever they want, and that will lead to more contaminated eggs. | Courtesy Big Dutchman
Cage-Free Laying Systems
California egg producer transitioning to cage free
J.S. West Milling Co. was the first egg producer to build, equip and populate an enriched “colony” cage layer house in the U.S. The company became a major proponent of enriched housing as egg producers lobbied for passage of the Egg Bill, which would have mandated a transition from conventional to enriched cages for the entire country.
J.S. West, the first U.S. egg producer to install enriched cages, is converting its houses to cage free.
Cage-Free Laying Systems
4 ways to improve laying hen bone strength
One of the major welfare issues facing the egg industry is the high incidence of keel bone fractures or deformities in cage-free and cage housing systems. Bone fractures are not only welfare concerns, but also can negatively affect egg production. In particular, keel fractures account for 90 percent of bone breaks in alternative housing systems at end of lay.
In cage-free systems, hens get more exercise, which strengthens bones, but they also create more opportunities for injury during falls or crash landings.
Cage-Free Laying Systems
Can a cage-free layer housing system have a door?
One of the nation’s leading certifiers of cage-free operations won’t certify any type of cage-free housing that includes a closing door.
Some aviary systems have doors that can be closed either at night or when first populated as a management aide. | Courtesy Big Dutchman
Egg Production
8 tips for feeding cage-free layers
Taking laying hens out of cages makes a big difference. The extra freedom allows them to move around expending energy and putting pressure on their bones. Cage-free hens also compete more for their daily ration, and they come in contact with their excreta. All of these facts make traditional layer feeding rather obsolete, or more eloquently put, in need of revising to ensure bird health, welfare, productivity and, of course, profitability are not sacrificed at the expense of consumer preferences.
Cage-free hens get more exercise, which increases their energy needs and strengthens bones, but can also lead to more injuries. | Courtesy Big Dutchman
Hen Housing Systems
How Canada will phase out conventional cages by 2036
By 2036, Canada will no longer house laying hens in conventional cages. Instead, farmers will be required to keep their birds in fully enriched housing systems. The mandatory shift will be overseen by the Egg Farmers of Canada in cooperation with the country’s provincial egg boards.
Canada's egg farmers will be required to keep their laying hens in fully enriched housing in the future. | Terrence O'Keefe
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