Litter quality in broiler sheds directly affects the welfare of billions of chickens annually, with wet or poor-quality litter causing painful foot lesions, hock burns, and breast blisters.
Litter quality is a foundational welfare issue in broiler production because poor litter conditions cause painful, chronic contact injuries that affect billions of individual birds. Foot pad lesions from contact with wet, ammonia-laden litter cause inflammation, ulceration, and pain that impair walking — compounding the locomotor difficulties already caused by rapid growth rates. Hock burns from lying on wet litter affect the hocks of birds that spend increasing time lying down as they approach slaughter weight. Breast blisters develop similarly in birds with limited space for normal movement. Research using preference tests confirms that chickens find foot pad lesions painful and avoid walking when suffering from them. The welfare impact of litter quality is directly controllable through ventilation management, drinker maintenance, appropriate stocking density, and litter turnover between flocks. Farms with poor litter management impose avoidable suffering on every bird in the shed.