Laying Hen Mortality and Welfare Management

Managing mortality in commercial laying hen flocks requires attention to both welfare causes and welfare responses.

Key Facts

Mortality rates of 5-10% or higher are common in commercial laying hen flocks over a production cycle
Feather pecking, vent prolapse, and infectious disease are leading causes of hen mortality
Dead hens not promptly removed contaminate environments and can transmit disease to living birds
Welfare conditions that reduce stress and competition substantially reduce mortality rates
Keel bone fractures affect 50-80% of cage-free hens and are a leading source of pain and welfare harm

Welfare Considerations

Laying hen mortality management involves both preventing deaths through welfare improvement and managing the welfare of dying and dead animals appropriately. The high mortality rates in commercial flocks reflect systemic welfare challenges — feather pecking from crowding and stress, metabolic diseases from high production demands, and keel bone fractures from perching. Each death represents an animal that suffered, and monitoring mortality patterns helps identify the welfare failures causing them. Prompt removal of dead and dying birds reduces suffering for those still alive and disease risk for the flock. Addressing root causes through enrichment, space, and housing improvements reduces both suffering and mortality simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Support cage-free hen welfare certifications that include keel bone fracture monitoring
Advocate for welfare standards that address feather pecking root causes
Choose eggs from systems demonstrating low mortality rates
Support research into keel bone fracture prevention in cage-free systems
Reduce egg consumption or choose plant-based alternatives