Air quality in intensive poultry housing affects both animal welfare and worker health. Ammonia, dust, and humidity in poorly managed houses cause respiratory disease and eye inflammation.
Chronic exposure to high ammonia and dust causes respiratory disease, eye damage, and systemic inflammation in poultry. This is not acute suffering but persistent, day-by-day welfare degradation. Good litter management through ventilation, drying, and turning dramatically reduces ammonia levels. Barn design standards that include adequate ventilation capacity represent one of the most important infrastructure welfare investments in poultry production.