Dustbathing is a fundamental behavioral need in laying hens that cannot be suppressed without welfare cost, yet many alternative housing systems fail to provide adequate dustbathing substrate and space.
The dustbathing drive in hens is not a preference that can simply be redirected — it is driven by a behavioral system that generates frustration when unsatisfied. Hens who dustbathe on bare surfaces rather than substrate are performing an instinctive behavior without the functional outcome it evolved to produce. Providing adequate litter substrate in sufficient depth and quality is one of the most cost-effective welfare improvements available in laying systems. The interaction between stocking density and litter quality means that even well-designed systems can fail to support dustbathing if bird numbers are too high.