Research on enriched broiler environments demonstrates measurable welfare improvements from perches, bales, and foraging substrates that engage natural behaviors in commercial chicken production.
Broiler environmental enrichment research has produced clear evidence that relatively simple additions to commercial broiler houses improve measurable welfare indicators. Perches that get used suggest chickens retain the roosting motivation. Platforms and raised structures that enable activity show that leg-healthy birds use vertical space when available. Pecking substrates reduce the redirected behavior that causes feather damage. These interventions represent achievable welfare improvements within commercial production constraints — they require capital investment and management changes but are not technically complex. The Better Chicken Commitment and similar standards increasingly include enrichment requirements alongside breed and stocking density changes.