Poultry Welfare

Hen Welfare Monitoring Through Mortality Data

Mortality rates in laying hen flocks serve as a welfare outcome indicator that can be monitored continuously and used to drive management improvements.

Key Facts

Mortality data is collected by some welfare schemes as an animal-based welfare indicator
High mortality alerts farms and auditors to investigate underlying welfare problems
Mortality patterns across a flock can identify environmental, nutritional, or disease issues
End-of-lay mortality is often accepted as inevitable but can be reduced through better management
Benchmarking mortality data against comparable farms motivates welfare improvement

Welfare Considerations

Using mortality as a welfare indicator creates accountability for farm-level welfare outcomes rather than just compliance with input standards. Farms with high mortality have welfare problems requiring investigation regardless of whether they meet minimum space and equipment requirements. Benchmarking and progressive improvement targets create incentives for ongoing welfare enhancement beyond minimum standards.

What You Can Do

Support welfare schemes that collect and publish mortality data
Advocate for mortality benchmarking to be required in all laying hen welfare certification
Ask egg producers about their flock mortality rates
Donate to research identifying the most effective interventions for reducing laying hen mortality