Broiler chickens are increasingly recognised as sentient animals capable of positive and negative experiences. Environmental enrichment that supports natural behaviour improves welfare and can be implemented without prohibitive cost in commercial systems.
The welfare case for broiler enrichment rests on evidence that birds in barren environments have restricted behavioural opportunity and show indicators of chronic boredom and frustration. Straw bales, pecking objects, and perches cost little but provide meaningful behavioural opportunities that improve activity levels, bone strength, and positive affect indicators. The challenge is that fast-growing conventional breeds have limited capacity to use enrichment due to musculoskeletal constraints — another welfare argument for transitioning to slower-growing breeds. Enrichment provision is increasingly required in premium welfare certification schemes and represents the direction of regulatory travel as evidence for broiler sentience becomes more accepted in policy contexts.