Providing outdoor access to meat chickens (broilers) is associated with significant welfare improvements, but the benefits depend heavily on how outdoor space is designed and whether birds actually use it.
Outdoor access for broiler chickens offers genuine welfare benefits, but these are conditional on range quality, bird genetics, and stocking density. A cramped, muddy outdoor strip that birds cannot easily access due to physical discomfort does not deliver the welfare improvements of a spacious, vegetated range used by active, slower-growing birds. The trend toward slower-growing breeds in higher-welfare certifications reflects the recognition that conventional fast-growing broilers are physically limited in expressing natural behaviour regardless of housing type. When outdoor access is truly functional — involving exploration, foraging, and dustbathing in significant numbers of birds — welfare outcomes improve measurably across multiple indicators.