Broiler Chicken Enrichment: What Chickens Need and What Improves Welfare

Evidence-based enrichment in broiler housing — perches, pecking substrates, natural light, and outdoor access — significantly improves behavioral welfare indicators in commercial chicken production.

Key Facts

Broiler chickens show strong motivation to perch, dust-bathe, and forage even at commercial slaughter weights
Perches in broiler houses reduce resting time on litter, improving hock condition and leg health
Natural light significantly increases activity levels compared to artificial-only systems
Outdoor access — even low usage — improves behavioral diversity and reduces stress indicators
The Better Chicken Commitment requires perches, enrichment, windows, and slower-growing breeds

Welfare Considerations

Enrichment in broiler housing addresses the behavioral suppression inherent in barren, high-density environments. Chickens provided with perches use them from early in life and show reduced aggressive pecking. Dust-bathing substrate satisfies a strong behavioral motivation — chickens deprived of suitable substrate perform frustrated dust-bathing movements in air. Natural light enables circadian rhythm regulation and encourages activity. The welfare improvement from enrichment is measurable across multiple behavioral and physiological indicators even within the constraints of commercial production.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken certified to Better Chicken Commitment standards which mandate enrichment
Ask your supermarket whether their chicken suppliers meet Better Chicken Commitment requirements
Support policy mandating environmental enrichment as a minimum standard in broiler licensing
Share information about broiler enrichment science with people who buy chicken frequently
Reduce chicken consumption and shift toward higher-welfare or plant proteins where possible