Stocking density is one of the most important determinants of broiler chicken welfare, affecting health outcomes, behavior, and stress levels.
Stocking density is among the most powerful modifiable welfare levers in broiler production. High-density housing reduces the space available for each bird to move, rest, peck, and explore, while simultaneously degrading litter quality through accumulated moisture and ammonia. The welfare consequences — higher lameness rates, more respiratory disease, elevated stress hormones — are well documented. Reducing maximum stocking density to 30 kilograms per square meter or below, as required by the Better Chicken Commitment, produces measurable welfare improvements at modest additional cost.