Yang Qing, Langford Fritha, Vigors Belinda, Zhao Ruqian, Dwyer Cathy M
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
School of Natural and Environmental Science, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Anim Welf. 2025 Jul 10;34:e48. doi: 10.1017/awf.2025.10019. eCollection 2025.
The transition from conventional cage systems to cage-free egg production in China remains limited despite apparently increasing consumer demand for cage-free eggs. This study interviewed 15 large-scale Chinese egg producers using cages and/or cage-free systems (i.e. single-, multi-tier and free-range) to investigate the perceived challenges and opportunities during the transition. The cage farms' scales range from 110,000 to 30 million, while the cage-free farms keep between 12,000 and 300,000 laying hens. Drawing upon the COM-B model of the Behaviour Change Wheel, this study explored how producers' Capabilities, Opportunities, and Motivations impact decision-making processes. Key findings reveal that cage and cage-free producers considered consumer demand and profitability as primary drivers for adopting cage-free systems. While free-range producers were more confident in the market, barn system producers faced greater uncertainty due to limited engagement from corporate buyers. Moreover, these cage-free producers believed reliable certification and labelling schemes to be critical for building consumer trust and ensuring the success of cage-free operations. All the participants perceived access to sufficient land and financial resources to be essential for a successful transition. While most studies propose education as a long-term strategy to promote the growth of the cage-free egg sector, our findings are the first to highlight that engaging corporate buyers and establishing trustworthy certification schemes are the most crucial short-term interventions required to drive the development of large-scale cage-free farms and support sustained improvements in animal welfare in China.
尽管中国消费者对无笼蛋的需求明显增加，但从传统笼养系统向无笼蛋生产的转变仍然有限。本研究采访了15家使用笼养和/或无笼系统（即单层、多层和自由放养）的中国大型蛋鸡生产商，以调查转型过程中所感受到的挑战和机遇。笼养农场的规模从11万只到3000万只不等，而无笼农场饲养的蛋鸡数量在1.2万只到30万只之间。本研究借鉴行为改变轮的COM-B模型，探讨了生产商的能力、机会和动机如何影响决策过程。主要研究结果表明，笼养和无笼生产商都将消费者需求和盈利能力视为采用无笼系统的主要驱动力。虽然自由放养生产商对市场更有信心，但由于企业买家的参与有限，多层鸡舍系统生产商面临更大的不确定性。此外，这些无笼生产商认为可靠的认证和标签计划对于建立消费者信任和确保无笼养殖的成功至关重要。所有参与者都认为获得充足的土地和财政资源是成功转型的关键。虽然大多数研究提出将教育作为促进无笼蛋行业发展的长期战略，但我们的研究结果首次强调，吸引企业买家和建立可信赖的认证计划是推动中国大型无笼农场发展和支持动物福利持续改善所需的最关键短期干预措施。
