Conventional housing is usually a wire enclosure housing multiple birds. Under the UEP Certified Conventional Cage Guidelines, the hens must be provided with scientifically determined space for this type of housing, and cage construction must be done in a manner that prevents injury to the hens.
Cages protect the hens from environmental hazards, manure, and predators. They also allow individual hens to be easily monitored for health and subsequently allow for better control and treatment. Hens in conventional systems also have a lower risk of injury. For these and other reasons, starting in the 1960’s, farms moved away from open housing systems to conventional housing.
