Rethinking Labor in Cage-Free Egg Production

As the egg industry pivots to cage-free production, the spotlight turns to labor—a factor that’s often underestimated. Cage-free hens necessitate more time spent walking and inspecting the barns, removing eggs laid outside of nests, and managing floor litter. Research from Wageningen University indicates a significant decrease in the ratio of hens per full-time employee—from 65,000 hens per employee in traditional caged environments to 40,000 hens per employee in cage-free settings with multi-tiered systems.

Daily Inspection Walk in the Barn
A daily walk-through to inspect the barn is essential to collect eggs laid outside of nests as well as possible hen fatalities. A critical but often overlooked aspect when selecting a cage-free housing system is the number of walk-throughs required to inspect the full barn. This has a substantial impact on the time spent walking. The design of the housing also affects walking speed; open systems that allow inspection from the floor level without obstructions enable quicker inspections compared to systems that require farm management to navigate within or over the housing system. Clear visibility into the nests is crucial, as they require close attention during inspections.

Proactive Management of Floor Eggs
In cage-free systems, hens may lay eggs outside of their nests, which must be promptly collected. Delayed collection can lead to a habit of floor laying among other hens. Farm management must pay special attention to this, particularly at the start of the laying cycle, with floor eggs needing collection up to four times a day. As laying behavior stabilizes, this frequency can be reduced. Neglecting to collect floor eggs promptly will result in a high and stable number of floor eggs, significantly impacting daily labor requirements.

Efficiency in Egg Collection
When assessing the time dedicated to egg collection, producers often focus on the speed of the egg packing line. However, the key to achieving the line’s theoretical and practical capacity is maintaining a steady flow of eggs. High variability in nest occupancy or incorrect sequencing of egg belts can prevent reaching the packing line’s full potential.

VDL Jansen: The Excellent Choice
VDL Jansen offers a wide range of housing systems for laying hens, from individual nesting solutions to large-scale multi-tiered aviaries. Our experts are available to guide you in choosing the system that best suits your needs while minimizing labor requirements. Our designs are notably user-friendly, easy to inspect, and constructed to ensure that caretakers can work efficiently without the risk of damage or warping—Jansen strength guaranteed!

Known VDL Jansen Layer Systems

Comfort 2.0

The Comfort 2.0 aviary system is an open, multi-tier system making optimal use of the space in a new or existing house. Perches, feed, and water are situated at different levels in the system to stimulate the natural behaviour of the birds.

EggMaxx

EggMaxx is VDL Jansen’s newest cage free housing system, designed for the United States. Engineered and approved by layers to meet the proportional requirements on usable area, nest area, feed trough and perch length, and helps to maximize the egg output of cage free facilities.

AviaView

The AviaView provides a perfect overview of the birds and nests, and stimulates an optimal production of high quality eggs. Integrated walk ways are easy accessible and all birds and nests are located at eye level.

LayMaxx

LayMaxx nest with its tilting floor makes nest inspection easy. Moreover, the nest offers a secluded and comfortable environment in which the hen can lay eggs undisturbed. When the nest floor is tilted, the nest flaps roll up, fully exposing the nest mats.