Keel bone fractures affect a majority of laying hens in many housing systems, causing chronic pain that represents one of the most significant welfare problems in egg production.
Keel bone fractures represent a paradox in laying hen welfare reform: the move away from battery cages to cage-free systems was intended to improve hen welfare, yet these systems are associated with high rates of a painful skeletal condition that battery cage hens rarely experience. Hens with keel bone fractures live with chronic bone pain that substantially impairs their quality of life, yet the condition is rarely visible to observers or consumers. Addressing keel bone fractures requires investment in genetics, perch design, and housing configuration that reduces fracture risk while maintaining the behavioral freedom that cage-free systems provide. This is a solvable problem — research is identifying the key risk factors — but requires industry investment in welfare-centered design.