Broiler litter quality is a critical welfare determinant, with wet, compacted, or contaminated litter causing footpad dermatitis, hock burns, and breast blisters in affected birds.
Footpad dermatitis and hock burns from poor litter quality cause chronic pain in millions of broilers. Litter quality management is a high-impact welfare intervention because it is controllable, measurable at slaughter, and directly linked to bird welfare outcomes during rearing.