A couple of excerpts:
"First and foremost we want all consumers to know that cage free hens suffer and die two to three times more than hens in cages. Multiple worldwide studies prove this, as does our own industry experience with both caged and cage free systems today."
"One of the behaviors these groups claim is that cages prevent chickens from perching. Perches are used to help hens escape from one another and other predators in non cage environments. Chickens are both aggressive and cannibalistic animals that when allowed too much freedom will attack one another by pecking, which can cause them to bleed to death and to acquire infections through their open wounds. Perches therefore arent needed in caged houses because cages limit their amount of space to prevent them from attacking one another "
Link to article:
http://www.thebanner.com/articles/2009/06/18/opinion/letters/letters01.txt
You have to scroll down to view this letter.
"First and foremost we want all consumers to know that cage free hens suffer and die two to three times more than hens in cages. Multiple worldwide studies prove this, as does our own industry experience with both caged and cage free systems today."
"One of the behaviors these groups claim is that cages prevent chickens from perching. Perches are used to help hens escape from one another and other predators in non cage environments. Chickens are both aggressive and cannibalistic animals that when allowed too much freedom will attack one another by pecking, which can cause them to bleed to death and to acquire infections through their open wounds. Perches therefore arent needed in caged houses because cages limit their amount of space to prevent them from attacking one another "
Link to article:
http://www.thebanner.com/articles/2009/06/18/opinion/letters/letters01.txt
You have to scroll down to view this letter.