Farm Animals

Broiler Chicken Gait Scoring for Welfare Assessment

Gait scoring in broiler chickens is a validated welfare tool that quantifies lameness prevalence at flock level, with high scores indicating painful musculoskeletal problems.

Key Facts

The Bristol Gait Score (0-5) is widely used to assess lameness in broilers
A score of 3 or above indicates clinically significant lameness causing pain
Up to 27% of commercial broilers show gait scores of 3 or above in some studies
Lameness is driven by genetics, nutrition, litter quality, and growth rate
Selective breeding for slower growth reduces lameness significantly

Welfare Considerations

Lameness in broilers causes chronic pain affecting millions of birds daily. Gait scoring makes the scale of the problem visible and drives management improvement.

What You Can Do

Support labelling and certification schemes that set lameness score limits
Purchase slower-growing chicken breeds when available
Advocate for gait scoring requirements in farm assurance schemes
Raise awareness that lameness prevalence is a direct welfare indicator