Keel bone fractures cause significant chronic pain in laying hens across all housing systems, representing one of the most pressing unsolved welfare problems in poultry.
Keel bone fractures represent one of the most significant ongoing welfare challenges in laying hen production precisely because they affect the majority of birds across all housing systems, including those considered higher welfare. The keel bone — the breast bone's central ridge — is vulnerable to collision and impact injuries during flying, landing, and accessing perches. Fractures cause chronic pain that is evidenced by altered posture, reduced activity, and preference for fracture-associated postures in preference tests. Addressing this welfare problem requires both short-term design improvements and longer-term genetic and management solutions. No single intervention has yet proven sufficient to eliminate the problem, making keel bone welfare an active research and policy priority.