Honestly not sure - is this purely from a production point of view? I.e which do we believe to be the best for the consumer - or the best for the chicken to live an overall ok life?
Of course it is better for animals to live free (sound like a hippy) - like they should be doing BUT as a consumer should we be paying more for something that has a lower overhead for the person/s producing the product - no - the price of eggs should be the same/or same'ish even if they are free range or caged - and make it simply a matter of personal preference/if you believe in one of the other - and not force people into simply another marketing campaign.
I guess where do you draw the line though? Should we not keep dogs locked in the backyard, should we not keep fish in a bowl, should we not keep horses in a paddock - I guess sometimes you have to see something for what it is - really a chicken is there to feed us, and keep us alive - of course I would never want to see chickens piled on top of eachother - but if they can be kept caged in a manner that is not overly cruel or hurtful to the animal but also able to produce mass amounts of eggs that feed people then I don't have a problem with that.