Dark-out or near-dark housing systems for broiler chickens are used to reduce activity and accelerate weight gain, raising serious concerns about welfare and natural behaviour.
Dark-out systems compromise chicken welfare in multiple ways. Chronically insufficient light suppresses normal diurnal behaviour, prevents adequate visual assessment of the environment, and reduces activity that maintains musculoskeletal health. Chickens in near-dark conditions show poorer leg health, higher rates of hock burns from inactivity on litter, and reduced ability to express foraging behaviour. The primary motivation for dark housing is production efficiency, not bird welfare. Higher-welfare standards consistently mandate minimum light intensities and natural light access as welfare-positive requirements.