Litter quality in broiler chicken houses has a profound impact on bird welfare, with wet or contaminated litter causing painful hock burns, footpad dermatitis, and respiratory disease affecting millions of birds in every production cycle.
Litter quality is a key leverage point for broiler welfare because it simultaneously affects multiple welfare outcomes. Poor litter causes painful contact dermatitis, elevated ammonia impairs respiratory health and causes eye irritation, and wet conditions promote pathogen proliferation. The cascade of welfare harms from inadequate litter management is substantial and affects entire flocks of tens of thousands of birds simultaneously. Managing litter quality requires appropriate initial litter depth, adequate ventilation to control moisture, correct drinker management to prevent leaks, and appropriate stocking density. Welfare outcome monitoring using slaughterhouse FPD scoring provides a feedback mechanism for identifying and addressing poor litter management, and has driven measurable improvement in countries where it is mandatory.