Litter quality in broiler houses directly determines footpad dermatitis (FPD) prevalence — one of the most reliably measurable welfare outcomes in commercial poultry production, used in several countries as a slaughter welfare audit measure.
FPD represents a welfare success story in the making: it is measurable, addressable, and responsive to policy. The Danish system — measuring FPD at slaughter and feeding results back to farmers with financial consequences — has driven significant reductions in severe FPD prevalence through simple market accountability. Farmers who manage litter well have lower FPD scores and avoid financial penalties; those who do not face consequences that make litter quality a commercial priority. The welfare mechanism is pain reduction: broilers with severe FPD ulcers are experiencing painful contact dermatitis with every step. Litter management interventions — maintaining dry, friable litter through ventilation, drinker management, and appropriate bedding depth — can reduce severe FPD from 30-40% to under 5% in the same house with the same stocking density. This demonstrates that FPD is predominantly a management problem, not an inevitable consequence of indoor production.