Advancing hen welfare on farms requires moving beyond minimum harm-reduction standards to actively providing opportunities for hens to experience positive states through natural behaviour expression.
Most laying hen welfare standards focus on removing negative experiences — preventing injury, overcrowding, and boredom. A positive welfare approach asks what good experiences hens can have. Research shows hens actively seek out dust bathing substrate, scratch at litter for extended periods even without hunger, and show clear preferences for perch heights. Providing these opportunities costs relatively little but dramatically improves welfare outcomes as measured by behavioural diversity and stress indicators. Auditing systems increasingly incorporate positive welfare measures such as percentage of hens seen actively foraging or the presence of synchronised dust bathing groups.