Farm Animals

Laying Hen Bone Health and Welfare

Laying hens suffer epidemic levels of osteoporosis and bone fractures from the calcium demands of intensive egg production. This welfare crisis affects billions of hens globally.

Key Facts

Over 50% of conventional cage-free laying hens have keel bone fractures at time of slaughter
High egg production rates deplete calcium reserves faster than dietary supplementation can replace them
Keel bone fractures cause chronic pain that affects feeding, movement, and behavior in laying hens
Welfare-conscious laying hen management includes keel bone assessment as a primary welfare indicator

Welfare Considerations

Keel bone fractures represent a welfare epidemic affecting the majority of laying hens in many production systems. The fractures cause chronic pain that significantly affects quality of life throughout the production period. Addressing this welfare crisis requires a combination of genetic selection for lower fracture rates, housing design that reduces collision risk, and nutritional management that optimizes calcium metabolism throughout the production cycle.

What You Can Do

Support egg production systems with low keel bone fracture rates as a primary welfare selection criterion
Advocate for keel bone fracture assessment to be included as a mandatory welfare audit metric for laying hens
Choose eggs from producers participating in welfare schemes that include bone health monitoring
Support research into genetic, nutritional, and housing interventions that reduce keel bone fracture rates