Feeding for freedom: Addressing nutritional challenges in cage-free layer systems

In fact, cage-free egg products with additional claims such as omega-3, herbal, or chickens fed recycled food waste feed have become powerful symbols of green branding.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s Indonesia 2025-2035 national livestock development roadmap also emphasizes the importance of animal welfare-based production systems as part of a sustainable agricultural development strategy.

Management and nutrition challenges in cage-free systems

The main difference between cage-free and conventional systems lies not only in the cages, but also in the physiological needs of the chickens. Chickens’ physical activity increases significantly: walking, perching, scratching, and social interaction, resulting in a 5-10% increase in maintenance energy requirements.

Research (Hy-Line, Zootecnica 2024) shows that cage-free chickens consume 1-3 grams more feed per day, but their feed conversion efficiency (FCR) tends to decrease slightly due to the increased physical activity.

Protein and essential amino acid requirements, especially methionine and lysine, are also higher. Furthermore, calcium bioavailability can decrease due to environmental stress and litter characteristics, impacting shell quality and bone strength.

Precision feed formulation: More than just composition

Feed formulation for cage-free chickens can no longer simply refer to conventional standards. Careful calculations are required based on the strain, age, activity level, and even the cage microclimate.

For example, the metabolic energy (ME) requirements of cage-free chickens can reach 320-340 Kcal/bird/day, compared to only 280-300 Kcal/bird/day for caged chickens. Crude protein also needs to be increased from 15.5-16.5% to 17-19%, depending on the production phase.

Furthermore, the use of high-quality plant-based ingredients such as soybean meal (SBM), canola meal, DDGS, and nuts should be prioritized. This is based on international certifications such as Certified Humane and GAP (Global Animal Partnership), which prohibit the use of animal protein ingredients, including MBM (meat and bone meal) and PMM (poultry meat meal), as they are considered inconsistent with animal welfare principles.

Critical point: Pre-Lay management and bone mineralization

Nutritional management before the laying period (pre-lay) is crucial in cage-free systems. Emphasis is placed on achieving ideal body weight by 5 weeks of age, a minimum uniformity of 90% by week 16, and a weight gain of >300 grams between weeks 17 and 26.

Proper pre-lay calcium provision is crucial, as this period determines bone strength and shell quality during production. Research also shows that cage-free systems tend to have lower bone density if calcium and phosphorus management are not optimized.

Raw material evaluation and quality

The quality of feed raw materials is a key pillar.

Corn with aflatoxin levels below 100 ppb, SBM with pepsin digestibility of >80%, and bran with energy >2500 kcal/kg are highly recommended.

Furthermore, the use of multipurpose concentrates based on corn, bran, and SBM in an optimal ratio (e.g., 35:50:15) can provide balanced and efficient nutritional value.

Nutritional precision and production adaptation

Formulation data indicates that with an increase in PFI from 100 g/bird/day to 115-120 g/bird/day, energy and protein must be adjusted to achieve daily ME targets without overfeeding.

Recommended examples:

• Energy Metabolites: 2783-2856 Kcal/kg,
• Crude Protein: 16.4–16.8%,
• Lysine: 0.82–0.84%,
• Calcium: 4.2–4.4%, and
• Vitamin D3: >3000 IU/kg.

Nutrition should also be adjusted as birds enter weeks >55, as calcium and vitamin D3 requirements increase as mineral absorption efficiency decreases.

Opportunities for differentiation and added value

Cage-free farming is not just a farming system, but an opportunity to create added value for products, for example: cage-free consumer eggs sold in premium markets; processed products such as liquid eggs, salted eggs, and mayonnaise based on cage-free eggs; and value-added eggs such as omega-3, herbal, or organic eggs targeting niche and export markets.

With this approach, farmers not only meet welfare standards but also pave the way for a profitable and sustainable poultry business model.

Implementing a cage-free system is both a challenge and a golden opportunity for the Indonesian poultry industry. With the right nutritional strategy, precision formulation, and careful selection of raw materials, production performance can be maintained and even improved.

Furthermore, the resulting products have high ethical and economic competitiveness in both domestic and global markets.

Let’s embrace a future of equitable, sustainable, and globally competitive poultry farming—starting with smarter, welfare-focused feed.