The early days of a chick's life are critical for welfare, immune development, and long-term behaviour, yet commercial brooding practices often fail to meet newly hatched chicks' needs.
The hatchery-to-farm transition is a welfare-critical period that receives insufficient attention in commercial poultry production. Chicks are highly vulnerable in their first days and thrive with warmth, social contact, and immediate access to feed and water. Commercial practices that delay feeding access, transport chicks long distances without food, or create uneven brooding environments impose costs on immune development and long-term welfare that persist throughout the bird's life.