Poor air quality in intensive poultry houses causes chronic respiratory disease and ammonia-induced pain, affecting welfare and productivity across billions of birds.
Billions of chickens in poorly ventilated intensive houses breathe ammonia-laden air continuously. Ammonia causes physical pain to eyes and airways - birds with high ammonia exposure show eye damage and respiratory compromise. The discomfort of living in chemically irritating air is a chronic welfare harm that rarely receives attention compared to more visible issues like lameness. Proper ventilation and litter management are direct welfare interventions.