Are you buying caged eggs by mistake?
I’m always shocked to see eggs from hens kept in cages available on some supermarket shelves.
It’s unacceptable for hens to live in these cramped conditions which cause high levels of stress and frustration. Cages limit hens’ ability to walk, nest, perch, scratch the ground, stretch their wings, dustbathe and forage.
This goes against everything we stand for and is the reason why animals on RSPCA Assured members’ farms aren’t in cages, ever. And the UK public agrees. They’ve repeatedly said they don’t want to buy eggs from hens forced to live most of their lives in cages*, yet nearly 20%** of egg-laying hens still do.
Hens continue to suffer in cramped cages
Conventional battery cages are no longer allowed in the UK. They were replaced with new so-called ‘enriched’ cages, which only offer negligible improvements to hen welfare.
Hens in the old battery cages had a usable living space per hen equal to a piece of A4 paper, while the space they have now is only equal to an A4 piece of paper … plus a postcard.
For me, it makes no sense that eggs from caged hens are still sold and used as ingredients when they have such a negative effect on hens’ welfare, particularly with the increased emphasis on ethical consumerism and corporate responsibility in recent years.
Supermarkets can stop selling eggs from caged hens
It isn’t an impossible task. Supermarkets such as Aldi, Co-op, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose have shown it can be done and have already stopped selling whole eggs from caged hens.
Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose have also stopped using eggs from caged hens as ingredients in own-brand products.
But the sad truth is that some shops still sell caged eggs alongside those from higher welfare free-range and barn systems.
Why is this?
I suppose they might argue they need to stock eggs from caged hens because some of their customers can’t afford barn or free-range eggs.
Buy free-range eggs for a little bit more
Boxes of six free-range eggs are available for £1.65, less than the cost of a latte, and, in some cases, only a few pence more than caged eggs.
In a recent national poll, we asked people how they felt about different egg production methods. Nearly 60% of people said it was unacceptable for hens to be kept in cages with limited space.***
We also asked if it was important to them that their pancake ingredients came from higher-welfare farms this Pancake Day, and, again, 60% of UK adults who make pancakes said it was.****
That’s why we’re encouraging everyone who chooses to buy eggs to look for the RSPCA Assured label this Pancake Day (and beyond).
If you can’t see RSPCA Assured-labelled eggs on the shelf, you can look for the words ‘free-range’ or ‘barn’ on the packaging and still avoid buying caged eggs.
Look for the RSPCA Assured logo
The RSPCA Assured label on an egg box means the hens weren’t kept in cages, instead living on free-range farms or in large barns that meet 672 rigorous welfare requirements.
Specially-trained RSPCA Assured assessors visit the farms to ensure the birds are cared for according to the RSPCA’s strict welfare standards.
These include providing perches, nest boxes and enrichment items like straw bales and pecking objects, allowing hens to express natural behaviours such as nesting, foraging and perching.
So if you choose to eat eggs and want to avoid buying them from caged hens, my advice is: always look for the RSPCA Assured label.
* 85.31% of people said it’s not acceptable for hens to be kept in cages - a survey of 1,000 UK adults carried out by Survey Monkey in February 2022. Three-quarters of Brits said hen welfare is important to them and two-thirds said they look for either the RSPCA Assured logo or free-range label when buying eggs. Research carried out by Opinium amongst 2,000 UK adults in February 2024.
** Defra, Q4 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/egg-statistics
*** 58% of GB adults said it was unacceptable for hens to be kept in cages with limited space. The survey was carried out by YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 2003 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 31 January to 3 February 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
**** The survey was carried out by YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 2,068 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 3 to 5 January 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
About the author
Toby Baker -Executive Director
A passionate advocate for farm animal welfare, Toby's proud that RSPCA Assured has helped improve the lives of millions of farm animals since it was launched 30 years ago.