Poultry Litter Management and Foot Health

Litter quality in poultry houses directly impacts the foot health of billions of broiler chickens, with wet, ammonia-laden litter causing painful hock burns and footpad dermatitis.

Key Facts

Footpad dermatitis affects an estimated 80% of conventionally farmed broiler chickens globally
Wet litter from poor ventilation or high stocking density is the primary cause
Hock burns and footpad lesions cause chronic pain and lameness affecting movement to food and water
European welfare monitoring schemes score footpad dermatitis as a key welfare indicator
Litter management improvements — lower stocking density, better ventilation — significantly reduce lesion prevalence

Welfare Considerations

Footpad dermatitis represents an epidemic of preventable chronic pain in broiler chicken production. The ammonia and moisture in wet litter cause chemical burns on the thin skin of feet and hocks. Affected birds walk less, eat less, and gain weight more slowly — demonstrating the welfare-productivity alignment in this issue. Despite being highly preventable through management changes, footpad dermatitis remains endemic because the interventions require investment or reduced stocking density. Welfare scoring systems that penalize producers for poor footpad health create economic incentives for improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken products with third-party welfare certification that monitors footpad health
Advocate for footpad dermatitis scoring in all poultry welfare certification schemes
Support policies that incentivize litter quality management
Learn about the connection between stocking density and broiler welfare outcomes