High ammonia concentrations from accumulated litter in broiler houses cause chronic eye and respiratory damage. Air quality management is a critical and often undervalued welfare intervention.
Ammonia is a pervasive but often invisible welfare problem in intensive broiler production. Accumulating in poorly ventilated houses from urine and feces decomposition in litter, ammonia causes a slow, chronic degradation of broiler welfare through eye damage and respiratory tract irritation. Broilers with ammonia-damaged eyes cannot navigate normally, compete effectively for resources, or display normal behaviour. The respiratory effects compound the cardiovascular stress already inherent in fast-growing breeds. The solutions are well understood: adequate ventilation, dry litter management, appropriate stocking densities that allow litter to be managed effectively, and litter amendments that reduce ammonia production. Monitoring ammonia is straightforward with inexpensive sensors. The barrier to improvement is economic rather than technical — better ventilation and lower stocking densities increase costs.