Broiler Chicken Footpad Dermatitis Welfare

Footpad dermatitis affects the majority of commercially raised broiler chickens, causing painful lesions linked to wet litter conditions and high stocking density.

Key Facts

Footpad dermatitis affects 60 to 80 percent of birds in some conventional broiler houses
Lesions range from mild discolouration to deep ulcers affecting locomotion
Wet, ammonia-rich litter is the primary environmental cause
Higher stocking densities increase moisture and ammonia levels, worsening lesion rates
The EU monitors footpad dermatitis at slaughter as a welfare indicator for farm-level management

Welfare Considerations

Footpad dermatitis causes real pain, and its prevalence in commercial broiler systems is an indicator of systemic management failure. Birds with severe lesions show reluctance to walk, reduced feed intake, and behavioural indicators of pain. The condition is almost entirely preventable through good litter management, appropriate stocking density, and ventilation investment. The EU monitoring system that scores footpad lesions at slaughter and feeds back to farms has been shown to drive improvement when coupled with financial incentives and penalties. Consumer choice of welfare-certified chicken creates market pressure for the litter and density management that prevents this pervasive welfare problem.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken certified to welfare standards with footpad dermatitis monitoring requirements
Support EU and national footpad monitoring programmes with financial incentives for improvement
Advocate for stocking density limits that reduce litter moisture and ammonia levels
Ask retailers whether their chicken suppliers are enrolled in footpad welfare monitoring programmes