Cage Vs. Cage-free

Executive Summary

What poultry production system do farmers perceive to be the most efficient and financially rewarding, while simultaneously ensuring the birds' well-being? The answer to this question remains controversial in the poultry industry, particularly in Ghana and other sub-Saharan African countries. With increasing claims of farmers converting from deep litter to battery cage systems based on the latter's alleged better financial benefits over the former, the average Ghanaian farmer's quandary becomes ever-complex. This policy brief presents empirical evidence on how poultry farmers perceive and promote birds’ welfare under the battery cage and deep-liter production systems.

The findings indicate that farmers have positive perceptions about animal welfare and acknowledge the direct correlation between proper or humane handling of birds and the welfare, productivity, and quality of eggs/meats. However, about 25% of the deep litter users were desirous of switching to using battery cages in poultry farming because they consider the latter less labour-intensive and more efficient.

It is recommended that there should be an intensive awareness creation and sensitization drive, capacity-building programmes for cage-free system users, the establishment of laws and legally binding animal welfare standards, and public awareness creation about the health, quality, and environmental benefits of poultry products from welfare-focused systems to encourage consumers to demand such products from farmers.