Determinants of economic success in egg production in Germany – here: laying hens kept in aviaries or small-group housing systems

The European Union ban on conventional battery cages had far-reaching consequences for animal welfare and the economic success of egg production. The aim of this study was to identify the main influences on economic success of farms keeping laying hens in aviaries or small-group housing systems. The results confirmed the importance of productivity measures (i.e. conversion rate), whereas farm size was of consequence for small-group housing systems, only. Dependent on the housing system, management decisions (i.e. daily inspection time, feeding of self-mixed feed) accounted for a considerable part of economic effectiveness. Furthermore, the number of years of experience of the farmer with the housing system seemed to influence economic productivity. Positive effects of selling graded eggs (instead of bulk-ware) showed the relevance of market outlets on economic profitability. The study indicated that smallgroup housing systems might profit from selling their products directly to the consumer. The results show that decisions of politics and the retail sector as well as consumer choices have an influential effect on the economic success of egg production.