Air quality in intensive poultry buildings significantly affects respiratory health and welfare. Ammonia, dust, and pathogens are the main concerns.
Poultry living in high-ammonia environments suffer chronic respiratory irritation, eye damage, and increased susceptibility to respiratory disease. Hock burn - contact dermatitis caused by ammonia in wet litter - is both a welfare indicator and a product quality concern visible at slaughter. Dust causes pneumoconiosis-like lung changes in birds kept in high-dust environments. Workers in poultry buildings also experience respiratory problems, creating a welfare-economic case for air quality improvement that aligns with both human and animal health.