Broiler chickens in commercial production have behavioural needs that barren sheds fail to meet. Simple enrichment provisions can improve welfare and behaviour without prohibitive cost.
Broiler chicken enrichment is an area where modest provisions produce measurable welfare improvements at low cost. The standard commercial broiler shed — bare concrete or slat floor, artificial lighting, no environmental features — provides nothing that engages the behavioural repertoire of animals retaining strong instincts for foraging, dust bathing, and exploration. Even simple interventions change this: straw bales placed in the shed become focal points of activity that increase step count, reduce time lying on wet litter (and thus reduce hock burn and paw lesions), and engage foraging and pecking motivation. The perching picture is complicated by fast-growing breeds whose skeletal development limits the capacity to use elevated perches — breed selection toward slower-growing birds is the more fundamental intervention. Natural light, even through roof panels, normalises circadian rhythms and increases daytime activity. The Better Chicken Commitment's enrichment requirements represent a meaningful minimum standard that major food companies should be encouraged to adopt.