Farm Animals

Broiler Litter Quality and Footpad Welfare

Litter quality in broiler houses directly affects footpad health. Wet litter causes painful footpad dermatitis affecting millions of birds, and is a key welfare indicator used in national monitoring schemes.

Key Facts

Footpad dermatitis prevalence in UK broiler flocks averages 30-40% of birds scored
Wet litter driven by poor ventilation and high stocking density is the primary cause
UK's WATOK footpad scoring scheme creates production incentives for better litter management
Severe footpad lesions cause pain affecting gait and feeding behaviour

Welfare Considerations

Footpad dermatitis is one of the most quantified welfare problems in poultry. Maintaining dry litter through ventilation management, appropriate stocking density, and dry feed formulations substantially reduces prevalence and welfare impact.

What You Can Do

Support RSPCA Assured and other certifications that set footpad dermatitis limits
Ask chicken suppliers about their footpad monitoring and action thresholds
Back regulatory strengthening of footpad scoring scheme incentive structures