Perching is a fundamental behavioral need for laying hens, allowing them to express natural roosting behavior and providing physical and psychological benefits - yet many commercial systems still fail to provide adequate perching.
Denying perching to laying hens prevents expression of a fundamental roosting drive that is deeply conserved across all domestic fowl. Hens will persistently attempt to perch on any available elevated surface even in systems that do not provide perches. The strength of the motivation is evidenced by hens working in operant tasks to access perches. Beyond behavioral frustration, hens without perch access have weaker bones, potentially contributing to keel bone fractures which affect up to 80% of hens in some flocks. Perch design matters enormously - oval or rounded perches at appropriate heights and diameters minimize keel bone damage.