Litter quality in broiler chicken production directly determines footpad dermatitis prevalence — a painful condition affecting millions of birds that is monitored as a key welfare indicator under EU poultry welfare legislation.
Footpad dermatitis is a welfare problem generated by the environment rather than the bird: healthy broilers on dry, well-managed litter show very low FPD prevalence, while the same genetics on wet, poorly managed litter show rates approaching 90%. This makes FPD unique among broiler welfare issues in being almost entirely preventable through management and housing design. Severe lesions — grade 3 on a 0-3 scale — cause pain that alters gait, increases time spent lying (avoiding weight-bearing), and reduces feed intake. The slaughter-line FPD scoring system required under EU law creates a feedback loop between farm management and welfare audit: farms with consistently high severe FPD rates face stocking density reductions that reduce profitability, creating economic alignment with welfare improvement. The system has driven measurable improvements in FPD rates across EU member states since implementation, demonstrating that welfare-linked production standards can achieve real outcomes when enforcement is consistent.