Environmental enrichment for meat chickens including perches, straw bales, and pecking objects improves welfare without compromising production; adoption is increasing under Better Chicken Commitment standards.
The evidence for broiler enrichment benefits is now sufficiently strong that major welfare certification schemes require it. Beyond welfare improvement, enrichment reduces production losses from feather pecking and contact dermatitis, creating aligned commercial and welfare incentives. The challenge is adoption in cost-sensitive commodity chicken production where the marginal cost of enrichment provision remains a barrier despite the evidence of production benefits.