Litter quality in broiler chicken houses directly affects the welfare of billions of birds. Wet, ammonia-rich litter causes painful foot pad dermatitis and hock burns, and monitoring these indicators provides a practical welfare measure.
Foot pad dermatitis causes chronic pain that affects how broilers move and access food and water. Severe lesions involve open ulcers that are colonised by bacteria, causing localised infection. The widespread nature of this condition — affecting tens of millions of birds in intensive systems — makes it one of the most significant welfare issues in global animal agriculture by scale of suffering. Ventilation management, appropriate stocking density, and breed selection for slower growth rates are all proven interventions that reduce litter-contact-time and lesion prevalence.