Providing perches for laying hens is both a welfare and a health requirement — hens that cannot perch suffer musculoskeletal problems, and perch availability is closely linked to bone strength and keel bone fracture rates.
Keel bone fractures are one of the most prevalent and welfare-significant conditions in commercial laying hens, causing chronic pain that research suggests significantly affects bird behaviour and quality of life. The paradox is that perching — the behaviour most associated with improved bone strength — is itself a risk factor for acute fracture from falls and collisions when perch design is poor or hens are poorly adapted to free movement. The solution is not to remove perches but to improve their design, positioning, and gradual introduction during rearing. This research finding illustrates a broader principle in welfare science: the solution to a welfare problem arising from a mismatch between environment and animal needs is to improve the environment to meet the needs, not to prevent expression of the need. Certification schemes that specify perch design quality are more welfare-effective than those that merely require some perch provision.