Perching meets fundamental safety and resting needs in laying hens, and access to perches improves leg bone strength, reducing fracture rates significantly.
Perch access is a welfare issue with physical health dimensions. Hens without perches develop weaker leg bones through lack of exercise-induced bone remodelling. Keel bone fractures are a major welfare issue in cage-free systems where birds are more active but perch design and landing platforms may be inadequate. The solution is not to remove perches but to design systems where hens can land safely and where perch use contributes to bone health rather than causing injury.