Keel bone fractures are the most prevalent welfare problem in laying hen flocks globally. Understanding their causes and prevention is essential for improving the welfare of hundreds of millions of birds.
Keel bone fractures represent one of the most significant and underappreciated welfare crises in commercial egg production. The transition from battery cages to enriched cages and aviary systems, while providing welfare benefits in terms of space and behavioural opportunity, has inadvertently increased keel fracture prevalence. The welfare paradox is real: systems that allow perching, foraging, and flight also expose birds to fall and collision injuries that fracture the keel bone and cause chronic pain. The solution is not to revert to cage confinement but to design non-cage systems that reduce fracture risk through appropriate perch height, perch design, and genetic selection for bone health. This requires investment in research, system design, and breeding programme reform simultaneously.