Many laying hens suffer from conditions that violate animal welfare standards – even though cage rearing has been banned since the start of the year. At Easter, the German Animal Welfare Federation recommends paying attention to the type of rearing. Floor, free-range and organic rearing differ significantly. For example, hens in standard floor systems have no access to the outdoors at all. Fundamentally, the most consistent way to improve animal welfare is to remove eggs from your diet.
“For many people, colourful eggs are a must at Easter, yet many are unaware of the conditions the animals face. Hens enjoy scratching around outdoors, lying in nests they have built themselves and forming a close bond with their chicks. In most farming systems, they are denied this. Laying hens live in a few square metres, often without access to the outdoors. They are bred for maximum productivity to lay as many eggs as possible and consequently also struggle with health problems,” explains Annika Lange, specialist advisor on animals in agriculture at the German Animal Welfare Federation.
Identifying and classifying husbandry systems
Although the caging of laying hens has been banned since 1 January 2026, transitional periods allow it in individual cases until 2028. Whilst fresh shell eggs from caged hens are no longer found in supermarkets, they continue to be used in processed products such as baked goods or pasta. Coloured, hard-boiled eggs also conceal their origin. There is no labelling requirement, a fact sharply criticised by the German Animal Welfare Association. Consumers are unable to make an informed choice when shopping.
Conventional barn housing is little better than cage housing, with the birds living crammed together in halls and often directing their innate pecking behaviour towards other birds out of boredom and stress. In free-range and organic farming too, many birds live in large groups. However, the hens there have more freedom of movement, environmental stimulation, perches and opportunities to scratch and take dust baths. Eggs bearing the animal welfare label “Für Mehr Tierschutz” (For Better Animal Welfare) also guarantee better conditions for the hens.
Eggs are not irreplacable
Numerous vegan alternatives prove that Easter can be celebrated in an animal-friendly way without eggs – whether as substitute products from the supermarket or recipes prepared at home. On its website "Weil jede Mahlzeit zählt" (Because Every Meal Counts’) the German Animal Welfare Federation provides information on how eggs can be easily replaced, even in baking.
