Keel bone fractures affect a majority of laying hens in enriched colony cages and aviaries. Bone strength and perch design are key prevention targets.
Keel bone fractures represent one of the most significant unresolved welfare problems in commercial laying hen production. Their prevalence across housing systems - including better welfare systems like aviaries - demonstrates that housing alone is insufficient. Breed selection, nutrition, and perch design must all be optimized simultaneously to address this welfare priority.