Providing appropriate litter quality for dustbathing is one of the most direct ways to improve welfare for laying hens and broilers, with measurable effects on stress, aggression and feather condition.
Dustbathing is a behaviour so fundamental to hen welfare that its absence triggers measurable behavioural frustration. Hens in enriched cage systems with inadequate litter demonstrate vacuum dustbathing — the full motor sequence performed in mid-air — a reliable welfare indicator. Litter quality management is complex: the same litter that allows good dustbathing at the start of a flock can become wet and consolidated by mid-cycle, eliminating the welfare benefit. Continuous monitoring, prompt management of moisture sources (drinker leaks, condensation) and strategic ventilation maintain the litter quality that genuine welfare requires.