The brooding period for commercial chicks requires appropriate temperature, lighting, and enrichment to support normal behavioral development and welfare.
Brooding conditions in the first weeks of life have lasting effects on chick welfare throughout the production cycle. Appropriate temperature, lighting, and enrichment during brooding produce less fearful, more adaptable adult chickens with better welfare outcomes. Chilling and overheating cause immediate suffering and developmental effects. Getting brooding conditions right represents one of the most welfare-significant early interventions in poultry production.