Innovative broiler housing systems are being developed to address the welfare limitations of conventional intensive production while remaining economically viable for producers.
Innovation in broiler housing represents one of the most promising avenues for large-scale welfare improvement in a production sector where billions of animals currently live in conditions that welfare science has thoroughly documented as inadequate. The challenge is economic: innovations that dramatically improve welfare must also be economically viable for producers facing intense price competition. The trajectory is encouraging: welfare-certified slower-growing breeds in enriched housing are commercially available and adopted by an increasing number of major food companies through the Better Chicken Commitment. Smart housing technology that monitors welfare outcomes in real-time creates management feedback that improves welfare within existing infrastructure. The policy tools that accelerate adoption — welfare payments, certification premiums, regulatory minimum standards — are all available and increasingly deployed across major markets.