BANGKOK, Thailand—Sa-Nguan Farm has launched Thailand’s first commercial-scale cage-free aviary for hens used in egg production, in collaboration with Humane World for Animals Thailand.
With this new capacity, companies that have made commitments to buy eggs from cage-free facilities can fully transition their egg sourcing to help meet consumer demand for eggs produced in more humane ways than conventional eggs. Sa-Nguan Farm plans to transition its caged barns to cage-free systems in the future.
The multi-level aviary system includes enrichments and nest boxes through which hens can express natural behaviors such as perching, nesting, dust-bathing, and free movement. It can hold up to 12,000 hens.
“As consumers and businesses become more aware of animal welfare issues, we believe it is our responsibility to lead this transformation in the industry, not just follow it,” says Sathit Kruarattikarn, CEO at Sa-Nguan Farm. “Our aviary system is designed for healthier flocks, and happier hens. Our eggs from cage-free hens are high-quality eggs that reflect our core values and Thailand’s growing cage-free movement.”
Sa-Nguan's aviary facility offers a more humane environment than the traditional cage systems, which deny hens even their most basic behavior like spreading their wings or pecking at the ground. Cage‑free aviary systems provide hens with far better welfare than caged systems by eliminating extreme confinement and allowing birds to walk, perch, fly short distances, nest, and dust‑bathe , all natural behaviors that cages severely restrict due to extremely limited space. Hens kept in aviaries develop stronger bones from greater movement, while caged hens suffer weakened bone quality from lifelong immobility. Overall, a cage‐free aviary system represents a major welfare improvement by reducing nesting stress and supporting natural behavior, making it a far more humane alternative to the intensive confinement inherent in caged egg production.
. Over 50 companies operating in Thailand have made cage-free commitments, including Marriott International, COMO Hotels, Salad Factory, and many more. Those commitments, combined with a surge in consumer demand for eggs from cage-free hens, have made the development of cage-free facilities more urgent.
Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand program manager for farm animal welfare and protection at Humane World for Animals says: “Sa-Nguan Farm’s launch of Thailand’s first cage-free aviary for hens used in egg production marks meaningful progress. Thanks to their leadership and great vision in embracing the cage-free approach, eggs produced in more humane conditions are now more available than ever before.”
Humane World for Animals works globally to persuade corporations, financial institutions, food service companies, governments and farmers to eliminate the worst practices of industrial animal agriculture that subject the greatest number of animals to the longest duration of suffering, including intensive confinement. While the organization’s work is global, Humane World for Animals has farmed animal welfare teams in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the European Union, India, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Viet Nam. Humane World for Animals also promotes a shift toward a more plant-forward, climate-friendly global food system by providing culinary resources and training to institutions serving millions of meals daily and advocating for policy change at national and international levels.
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