Keel bone fractures affect the majority of laying hens in commercial systems and represent one of the most prevalent but underrecognized welfare problems in egg production.
Keel bone fractures in laying hens represent a significant and largely invisible welfare problem. Unlike lameness or feather pecking, keel bone fractures produce no easily observed behavioral change until they become severe, so they are rarely detected without systematic examination. Yet research consistently finds that most hens in commercial production, including cage-free systems promoted as higher welfare, end their laying lives with at least one fracture. Addressing keel bone welfare requires a combination of genetics, housing design, and management improvements that the industry has been slow to prioritize.