Welfare doesn’t come automatically with a switch to aviary systems

Switching to higher welfare egg production encompasses more than just ripping out cages and installing an aviary system. According to poultry vet Marc Heijmans a different system has different challenges and requires good stockmanship and careful management to prevent the onset of new welfare issues. Since the traditional battery cage was banned in 2012, layer farmers in the Netherlands gained a lot of experience with alternative housing systems. Although ‘enriched cages’, as they were te