Farmed Broiler Chicken Litter Management

Litter quality management in broiler houses directly affects respiratory health, footpad health, and welfare of the billions of chickens raised for meat annually.

Key Facts

Broiler chickens are raised on deep litter (wood shavings or rice hulls) throughout their lives
Wet litter causes footpad dermatitis affecting up to 80% of commercial flocks
Ammonia from wet litter causes respiratory irritation detectable at 25 parts per million
Footpad dermatitis causes pain affecting normal walking and weight-bearing
Higher stocking densities produce more moisture and ammonia from excreta
Wood chip litter managed with ventilation maintains better footpad scores than poorly managed shavings
RSPCA Assured and Global Animal Partnership require footpad scoring as a welfare metric
Lower stocking densities produce dramatically better footpad outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Footpad dermatitis from wet litter is one of the most prevalent welfare harms in global broiler production - affecting the majority of commercial chickens worldwide. Lesions range from mild discoloration to severe ulceration that causes pain with every step. Ammonia levels that exceed 25 ppm cause corneal damage and respiratory inflammation. These are preventable welfare harms - litter management, stocking density reduction, and ventilation improvement all reduce incidence. Footpad score monitoring mandated by certification schemes demonstrates that welfare measurement drives improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken products certified to schemes requiring footpad score monitoring
Support stocking density reduction as the single most impactful welfare improvement
Advocate for mandatory footpad scoring as a legal welfare requirement
Ask retailers about their suppliers' footpad score targets and monitoring programs
Reduce consumption of chicken from operations without welfare certification