Litter quality in broiler houses directly affects footpad dermatitis, hockburn and contact dermatitis rates, making it one of the most measurable and directly manageable welfare indicators in poultry production.
Litter quality is both a welfare indicator and a welfare driver, with poor litter quality causing painful skin lesions that impair mobility and access to resources. Monitoring footpad scores at slaughter provides valuable feedback to farms. Farms with consistently high lesion prevalence have identifiable management issues that can be corrected to improve welfare outcomes.