What Are Open-Cage Chickens?

When you are standing at the refrigerated egg section, you are faced with several different egg options. Brown eggs, white eggs, cage-free, free range, open-caged and regular eggs line the shelves for you to choose from. The open-cage design is a variation of mass producing battery-cage shelters but with a lower cost. Understanding the nomenclature used on egg cartons can help you decide if the price tag is worth the product.

  1. Construction

    • An open-cage system for chickens contains layered chicken cages covered with just a roof, instead of cages in an enclosed shed. The roof provides some protection from the elements and weather, although wind and colder temperatures can still directly affect the chickens. The sides of the cages are either chain link fencing or chicken mesh.

    Pros

    • The cost to construct regular permanent caging facilities for chickens can run high, especially on a large facility. With open-cage units, the construction cost is about half the price of the permanent alternative. The open-cage design uses far fewer building materials, as they don't need cement, steel and asbestos cement sheets, like enclosed sheds do.

    Cons

    • Most cages for chickens, regardless if they are in a shed or not, are quite small -- about 67 square inches for a single bird. The chickens spend all day and night inside these cages, deprived of space to perform natural behaviors, such as nesting, perching and dustbathing. These chickens are debeaked or the beaks are partially burned off before they are put in the cages. Chicken farmers usually don't keep the males as they don't produce eggs.

    Other Alternatives

    • Cage-free indicates that the chickens are allowed to walk around with being confined to a cage. Free range, free roaming chickens can walk around freely in a suitable shelter, with the option of roaming outside if they want. Many free-range chicken farmers have gone a step further and allow only grains and naturally growing grasses to make up the chickens' diet. They are not fed animal byproducts, processed food, hormones, antibiotics and steroids. Those farmers who stick to this kind of establishment can label their eggs cage-free, free range and organic when they pass inspection.