Respiratory disease is one of the most common and welfare-significant health challenges in poultry.
Poultry with respiratory disease experience laboured breathing, lethargy, and reduced feed intake — all indicators of significant suffering. In crowded conditions, respiratory pathogens spread rapidly through entire flocks, causing widespread disease. Addressing the root causes — high density, poor ventilation, and inadequate biosecurity — prevents respiratory disease more effectively than treatment after outbreaks. Welfare and disease management are inseparable in poultry production.