Welfare metrics based on outcome measures at the slaughterhouse provide evidence of on-farm conditions for broiler chickens, enabling targeted improvement.
High hock burn prevalence indicates that large proportions of broiler chickens spend excessive time sitting in wet litter, causing chemical burns to skin. Gait scoring reveals the proportion of birds with lameness preventing normal movement and natural behaviour. Breast blisters indicate chronic contact with wet litter surfaces. These outcome metrics capture the lived welfare experience of large numbers of birds across entire production systems, providing actionable evidence for targeted welfare improvement rather than input-based compliance checks.