Keel bone fractures affect 50-80% of laying hens in cage-free and aviary systems, causing chronic pain and representing a major unresolved welfare challenge in the shift away from battery cages.
Keel bone fractures represent one of the most significant unresolved welfare challenges in egg production. The irony is profound: hens moved to cage-free systems for welfare reasons are experiencing a different but severe welfare problem at very high prevalence. Chronic keel bone fractures cause persistent pain that affects behavior and quality of life throughout a hen's laying life. Solving this requires a multi-pronged approach: better genetics, optimized housing design, nutrition protocols, and management changes. The industry's awareness of this issue has grown substantially, but progress on solutions remains too slow given the scale of suffering involved.