Farm Animals

Laying Hen Welfare and Perch Access

Perch access in laying hen systems improves bone health, reduces keel bone fractures, and allows natural roosting behaviour essential for welfare.

Key Facts

Hens in the wild and in traditional systems roost on perches at night
Perch use provides bone-strengthening exercise reducing osteoporosis
Keel bone fractures are less common in hens with good perch access and design
Perch height, material, and positioning affect usage rates and injury risk
Aviary systems provide perches but keel bone fracture rates remain high due to collision risk

Welfare Considerations

Perch access meets the natural roosting motivation of hens while providing bone health benefits through weight-bearing activity. The design of perches matters enormously: inappropriate height, material, or spacing causes the injuries that perches are meant to prevent. Research into perch design that maximises bone health benefit while minimising keel bone fracture risk is ongoing and should inform welfare standards.

What You Can Do

Support welfare standards specifying minimum perch provision in laying hen systems
Advocate for perch design standards based on welfare evidence
Choose eggs from systems with documented perch access and keel bone monitoring
Support research into optimal perch design for hen welfare
Encourage egg producers to monitor keel bone health as a perch welfare indicator