The quality of litter in broiler chicken houses has major welfare implications for leg health, hock burn, breast blister, and overall bird comfort throughout the growing period.
Broiler chickens spending weeks in contact with wet, ammonia-rich litter develop painful skin lesions on their hocks, feet, and breasts from chemical burns. These injuries accumulate progressively through the growing period and affect a significant proportion of birds in poorly managed systems. Good litter management through ventilation, appropriate stocking density, drinker maintenance, and litter conditioning is not technically complex and directly prevents substantial suffering across billions of chickens annually.