Osteoporosis affects virtually all commercial laying hens by end of lay, causing painful fractures - exercise, nutrition, and housing design reduce its severity.
Laying hen bone health is an integrated welfare challenge connecting genetics, nutrition, housing, and production intensity. Very high production rates deplete calcium reserves faster than bones can be maintained, leading to medullary bone loss, vertebral collapse, and keel fractures. Interventions across multiple dimensions - higher calcium feeds, exercise opportunity in early life, perch design to reduce fracture risk, and genetic selection for stronger bones - collectively reduce fracture prevalence. No single intervention is sufficient, but combined approaches can meaningfully reduce this major source of chronic pain.