• Actor: An individual or group with a vested interest in the controversy. E.g., poultry farmers, consumers, veterinarians, or animal advocacy groups.

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• Animal Welfare: The physical and psychological well-being of animals, including their ability to express natural behaviors.

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• Cage-Free: A laying hens housing system that allows “open-access” to the whole barn and does not use cages.

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• Caged: A laying hens housing system that uses a cage-based design to separate the flock into smaller groups within the barn.

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• Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens: National guidelines outlining standards for hen welfare, including housing systems, developed by NFACC.

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• Controversy: A situation in which  disagree. A dynamic, 'hot,' and contested issue that cannot be resolved solely through expert opinions.

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• Depopulation: The mass euthanasia (killing) of a flock once they reach the end of the laying cycle. 

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• Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC): The national organization that represents egg farmers in Canada and manages supply management for eggs.

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• Hen housing systems

  • Battery Cages: A type of housing system for laying hens where birds are kept in wire enclosures with limited ability for movement or the expression of natural behaviours. 

  • Enriched Cages (Furnished): Modified cages that provide hens with perches, nesting boxes, and scratching areas with the aim to improve welfare while retaining efficiency.

  • Free-Run

    • Single Tier (Floor/Barn): A single-tier cage-free system where hens have access to the entire barn floor.

    • Multi-Tier (Aviary): A multi-tiered cage-free system allowing hens to move vertically and horizontally within the barn.

  • Free-Range: Hens have free run of indoor housing but can also access an outdoor area for part of the day.

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• Friable: the more friable the litter, the easier it is to break up and less likely to mat and hold water on the surface.

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• Laying hen: chickens kept and bred to produce eggs. 

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• Morbidity: the amount of suffering from a disease or medical condition.

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• Mortality: rate of death 

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• National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC): The organization that facilitates consensus-based development of Codes of Practice in Canada.

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• Phase-Out: A policy to gradually eliminate the use of battery cages in Canada by a set date.

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• Poultry: A different name for chicken. 

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• Pullet: A young female hen before it can lay eggs.

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• Retailer Commitment: Pledges by grocery chains or food companies to source only cage-free eggs by a certain deadline.

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• Science-Based Standards: Guidelines or practices grounded in empirical research and expert consensus.

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• Supply Management: A Canadian agricultural system that controls production and imports to ensure stable prices for farmers and consumers.