The quality of litter — the bedding material covering the floor of broiler houses — is one of the most important and underappreciated determinants of chicken welfare. Poor litter causes painful hock burns, footpad dermatitis, and respiratory disease.
Litter quality is a welfare lever of enormous practical importance because it affects billions of chickens annually through footpad and hock conditions that cause chronic pain. Footpad dermatitis — where ammonia and moisture erode the skin of the foot pad — ranges from superficial lesions to deep, infected wounds. Affected birds show altered gait, reduced movement, and behavioural indicators of pain. Because broilers are already prone to lameness from rapid growth, compounding this with litter-related foot pain creates cumulative welfare harm. The good news is that litter management is a controllable variable: appropriate bedding materials, adequate depth, ventilation that maintains correct moisture levels, and stocking densities that prevent excessive manure accumulation can substantially reduce footpad disease rates. Slaughterhouse-level footpad scoring — required under EU law and used as a feedback mechanism to farmers — creates an accountability loop that has demonstrably improved litter management in participating countries.