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CONVENTIONAL CAGE

CAGE-FREE AVIARY

ENRICHED COLONY

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The 2010 Salmonella outbreak in eggs is a distant memory for many, but food safety is always top of mind for us. To follow up on our earlier posts about housing systems, we wanted to know if the type of housing (cage-free, enriched or caged) played a part in food safety.

We interviewed Dr. Deana Jones, USDA Agricultural Research Service, and Dr. Jeroen Dewulf, Belgium, about the safety of eggs from different housing systems.

Are eggs from free-range and cage-free hens safer than from caged hens?

 Dr. Jones:

At this time, there is no clear-cut scientific evidence to support either side. That is an area of research that we are working on now. We are doing research on the microbiology of eggs from conventional and alternative production methods in order to glean how we can ensure the safety of all the eggs reaching the consumer. We want to have a safe egg supply in the United States, and that is our research goal.

Dr. Dewulf:

I want to emphasize that our results are valid for Europe. We have learned that production systems in the U.S. are different than they are in Europe. I think that is an important fact. In Europe, we’ve looked at the effects of alternative housing systems on layers in regards to the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens, especially Salmonella. We found less Salmonella in free-range production systems and floor-raised production systems. We define floor-raised housing systems as chickens that are inside, in buildings, but all on the floor, not in cages. Free-range systems are defined as floor-raised, but the chickens also have the opportunity to go outside.

If you took a hen out of the cage, would her eggs have less chance of Salmonella?

Dr. Jones:

We are working on an answer, and it is part of our five-year-project plan. I’m working with three scientists whose primary function is to look at the effects of housing conditions, immunology of the hens, microbiology of the eggs and the resulting quality of the eggs.

There is historic research that has been published throughout the years, dealing with factors that contribute to Salmonella in table egg production. Almost all of that work has focused on conventional cage production. So you can’t draw an inference to what’s going to happen in an alternative method. But you can see factors that have contributed to Salmonella instances in cage production.

Dr. Jones referenced 2011 Poultry Science 90:251-262, which states, “The current white paper attempted to provide insight into how changing the U.S. egg industry from one that houses its hens in conventional laying cages to furnished cages, aviaries, or a cage-free system affects the safety and quality of eggs produced in these different environments. There is no general consensus demonstrating the superiority of one housing situation over another regarding food safety and egg quality.”

Dr. Dewulf:

From a European perspective, that is what we’ve seen. We thought about the reasons and were able to identify a number of risk factors. Older caged housing systems are at a higher risk, as are larger flocks.

What is the industry doing to help prevent outbreaks of Salmonella in layers?

Dr. Jones:

By July 9, 2012, every producer in the U.S. that has more than 3,000 hens on site will be required to follow the federal law aiming at reducing Salmonellaincidence on the farm and during transportation of eggs. Additionally, it’s important to note that egg farmers are very concerned about wanting to have safe eggs. Farmers don’t want people to get sick, and they want to stay in business. Egg farmers are looking to do the best they can.

If I’m really concerned about Salmonella in my eggs, what should I do to minimize the risk?

Dr. Jones:

Always use safe handling practices, refrigerate your eggs, wash your hands, and prevent cross-contamination. Salmonella does not handle heat very well; therefore, if you cook it thoroughly, you’re going to kill it. Safe handing techniques will help to minimize the consumer’s risk.

Always use safe handling practices, refrigerate your eggs, wash your hands, and prevent cross-contamination.
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For more about safe handling practices, please visit the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply is currently conducting a commercial-scale study of housing alternatives for egg-laying hens in the U.S. The first research flock was placed in April 2011. The study will be replicated over two flocks with conclusion in 2014 and results reporting to follow.

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We took an in-depth look at each of the terms and asking experts their professional opinions, as we know consumers are interested in learning about the lives of hens that produce these eggs for us to eat. We’ll embark on a three-part series to get to the bottom of the questions we’ve received and the general scope of this topic.

So what are the most common ways hens are raised to produce eggs? We’ll look at the top four types of barns and get expert insights on the advantages and disadvantages to each.

The experts we enlisted for this post are Dr. Darrin Karcher professor at Michigan State University and Dr. Patricia Hester, professor of Animal Sciences at Purdue University. Dr. Karcher describes the systems used for laying hens, while Dr. Hester gives the advantages and disadvantages to each.

Conventional Cages

This system provides 67-86 square inches per bird, as well as continuous feed and water. Dr. Karcher explains that the industry currently uses the conventional cage system most frequently.

• Advantages:
  • Hens have fewer incidences of cannibalism because of smaller group sizes.
  • Cages provide protection from predators and wildlife.
  • Hens housed in cage housing systems are at a lower risk of infectious disease.
  • Conventional caging does not incorporate the use of litter.  Litter-based systems have been shown to have increased levels of ammonia, dust and bacteria.
  • Hens in cages have improved livability
• Disadvantages:
  • Restriction of natural behaviors: Hens in cages are less able to perform behaviors such as dust bathing and foraging.
  • Nesting and roosting are not options in the conventional cages.
  • Hens may experience overgrown claws.
  • Caged hens have poorer skeletal health because of lack of exercise.

Enriched Colony Housing Units

This system provides around 116 to 144 square inches per bird again with constant feed and water. But there are perches, a forage mat or scratch pad area, as well as a nest box or an area where the birds can have some privacy to lay eggs. Abrasive strips are provided to keep claws trimmed.

• Advantages: 
  • Hens are better able to express their natural behaviors  such as nesting, foraging, and perching than in conventional cages
  • Perches: Hens are motivated to perch, especially to roost at night. Perches improve bone strength
• Disadvantages: 
  • Foraging behavior and dust bathing are not expressed as easily as in cage-free systems.
  • Nest-dwelling parasites can be a problem.

Cage Free

There is a colony nest box which usually runs down the center of the house with a slatted area where the feed and water are located so the hens then can go into this nesting area to lay their eggs. Aviaries also fall into the category of cage-free housing where hens can use vertical space to access one or more tiers consisting of wire or perforated floors or platforms.  A littered area for scratching is available in cage-free systems.

• Advantages:
  • Barn – and – aviary raised hens show improvement in bone strength, but more bone breakage occurs because of increased activity over hens raised in cages.
  • Increased ability to forage and dust bathe.
• Disadvantages:
  • Birds raised on the floor are more likely to encounter disease carriers in feces or dampened litter, potentially leading to reduced health.
  • Cannibalism and pecking is greater in cage-free systems.
  • Litter – based systems have been shown to have increased levels of ammonia, dust, and bacteria.

Free-Range

The key feature of free-range housing is access to an outdoor area during the day.

• Advantages:
  • Hens with access to both indoor and outdoor areas have the greatest range of behavioral opportunities. Hens that spend more time outside have better feather condition.
• Disadvantages:
  • Outdoor conditions could potentially expose hens to toxins, wild birds and their diseases, predators, and climatic extremes. Hens are often reluctant to use the range area or venture far from the hen house resulting in wear of the pasture in the area near the house.

What type of eggs does your family buy? Tell us in the comments section!

This is the first post of a three-part series. Be sure to check out Part Two and Part Three.

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