Ammonia and particulate matter in broiler sheds cause chronic respiratory disease, reducing welfare in the billions of chickens reared annually in intensive systems.
Respiratory disease in broiler chickens is one of the most numerically significant welfare problems in global animal agriculture. Chickens cannot move away from elevated ammonia levels — they are chronically exposed throughout their short lives. Eye damage from ammonia causes painful keratoconjunctivitis. Footpad burns from wet, ammonia-rich litter are nearly universal in poorly managed intensive systems. Better litter management, lower stocking densities, and ventilation investment can achieve ammonia concentrations well within welfare-acceptable thresholds. The Better Chicken Commitment standard addresses stocking density as one of its core requirements, directly improving air quality welfare outcomes.