Welfare of laying hens in the industrial production

In modern poultry farming, the keeping of laying hens is considered from several points of view: economic, investment, financial, livestock, social, economic, veterinary, etc. However, the trend towards sustainable development of society implies priority consideration of the welfare of animals and laying hens, in particular. It is relevant to find a compromise in the production and welfare of the hens, as well as informing the consumer about the welfare of laying hens, because from a suffering bird one receives a corresponding egg and meat that are involved in shaping people's health (it is probably necessary to differentiate certification of eggs from different laying hen keeping systems). The paper presents an analysis of the level of well-being of laying hens in different systems of poultry keeping according to the principle of "cut across" on the basis of our own expert research and analysis of world achievements, as well as approaches to identifying critical points of chicken welfare and determining the prospects for the development of poultry farming for laying hens. The paper presents an analysis of the cage and free keeping of laying hens from the standpoint of the welfare of hens, with an emphasis on critical points of welfare, which significantly affect the condition of the bird. Laying hens, having free access to the external environment, have a number of welfare advantages, at the same time, chickens in their cage systems have the lowest risk of contamination with pathogens of infectious and invasive diseases and pecking, but there is a high level of damage to the skeletal system. We think it is a mistake to think that animal welfare suffers when caged (regardless of cage modification) and it is good for it when birds are kept free. We believe that a compromise solution could be the production of eggs in improved cages, which allows the bird to satisfy behavioral functions. An important point in the modern trend in the development of poultry farming is the analysis of accumulated knowledge and the formation of scientific and practical information groups in the welfare or consulting groups on the welfare of poultry, which will form a policy for animal welfare, carry out legislative harmonization and implementation of the best welfare practices in poultry farming.