His last seconds counted down by well-wishers, Mr Scott emerged at 12.50pm, 31 days after he entered the cage on the side of State Highway 1 at Waikouaiti.
Mr Scott immediately put on a T-shirt he was presented with that said: "One man, one month, one cage, I survived."
The protest coincided with the last month of a submission period on a draft code of welfare for hens that has been criticised by animal rights advocates.
Mr Scott, who said his knees felt weak after he left the 190cm by 130cm cage, was very much looking forward to a shower after a month of sponge baths.
The 41-year-old has been forced to leave the cage a few times to protect and adjust the tent sheltering it, because of attacks on the tent with eggs, stones and even a knife.
Despite those incidents, his faith in human nature had been lifted by his experience, he said.
He was impressed by people's kindness and their desire to do the right thing.
Several told him they had stopped eating battery hen eggs because of the protest. Karitane writer Emma Farry, who watched Mr Scott emerge, was impressed by his communication skills and sincerity.
"I think people thought he was a nutter. Then they stopped and talked to him and realised he's an intelligent, passionate man." It was inspiring to see someone take action because of their beliefs, she said.
Save Animals From Exploitation (Safe) Dunedin volunteer co-ordinator Michelle Hagar said Mr Scott's achievement was "absolutely amazing".
Seeing a person shut in a cage helped the public relate to how farmed animals might feel, she said.
Safe members dressed in chicken suits thronged around Mr Scott's cage holding signs up to passing traffic.
Safe campaign director Eliot Pryor, who had travelled from Auckland, said Mr Scott's protest attracted welcome attention to the hen welfare issue.
The next few months would be crucial while Minister of Agriculture David Carter considered the submissions, he said. Safe would be working hard to keep the issue in people's minds.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said at the last count, a few days ago, almost 15,000 submissions had been received.
Mr Carter hoped to decide on the code by the end of the year, she said.
A draft released in February by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee suggested adopting "enriched cages", which were bigger and allowed the hens to express some natural behaviour.
