Positive welfare indicators in broiler and layer hens allow producers to assess and promote good experiences rather than simply monitoring harm reduction.
Positive welfare assessment for chickens complements traditional harm-based measures by identifying when birds are experiencing good lives rather than merely avoiding suffering. Research by Marian Dawkins, Christine Nicol, and others has developed a portfolio of validated positive indicators applicable to commercial farming. Active foraging — scratching, pecking, and exploratory locomotion — indicates engagement and positive motivation. Dust bathing, when substrate is provided, indicates both the opportunity and the motivation to perform a pleasurable behavior. Play in chicks (running with feathers, jumping, sparring) occurs only in animals that are not stressed, hungry, or in pain. Commercial producers who invest in these positive welfare outcomes typically achieve them through the same management practices that reduce disease and improve productivity — making positive welfare a holistic farm improvement strategy.