Farmed Chicken Infectious Disease Welfare

Infectious diseases in commercial poultry flocks cause significant welfare suffering alongside economic losses, with biosecurity and vaccination programs providing the primary welfare protection.

Key Facts

Newcastle disease, avian influenza, and Marek disease cause high mortality and significant suffering in affected flocks
Avian influenza outbreaks require mass culling of billions of birds annually using methods of varying welfare quality
Marek disease without vaccination causes tumors, paralysis, and death in affected chickens
Biosecurity measures including all-in all-out management dramatically reduce disease entry into flocks
Emergency vaccines against novel avian influenza strains are being developed to reduce mass culling welfare harm

Welfare Considerations

Commercial poultry flocks affected by serious infectious diseases experience significant welfare harm including respiratory distress, neurological symptoms, and death. Mass culling procedures used during avian influenza outbreaks kill billions of birds under methods that vary in humaneness. Improving culling welfare through adoption of better methods, investing in disease prevention through biosecurity and vaccination, and developing emergency vaccines that reduce culling frequency are all important welfare interventions across the enormous global commercial poultry sector.

What You Can Do

Support development of avian influenza vaccines that could reduce mass culling welfare harm
Advocate for welfare standards governing culling methods used during avian disease outbreaks
Learn about biosecurity measures that reduce disease entry into commercial poultry operations
Support research into disease-resistant poultry breeds that reduce both disease welfare harm and production losses