Poultry welfare will further improve
Keeping layers in cages and broilers in densely populated houses has become a common practice. Meanwhile, however, concern over bird welfare has also increased, based on scientific knowledge and public perception. Europe, in particular, has taken the lead to improve poultry welfare. This is likely to increase in the next 25 years.
At present, public perceptions of laying hen welfare, and therefore choice of production system, vary considerably between countries across Europe, ranging from almost 100% cages in Spain and the Czech Republic to under 30% in Austria, with others in between. It is still true that welfare needs to be improved in all husbandry systems! Some problems are difficult to solve and remain, despite much research effort