Poultry litter management affects bird welfare through ammonia exposure, foot health, and housing conditions, and is a frequently neglected welfare variable in intensive production.
Poultry litter welfare is a chronic source of pain and disease that receives insufficient regulatory attention. Wet litter causes foot pad dermatitis — a painful condition affecting up to 70% of broilers in poorly managed houses — and hock burns from contact with ammonia-soaked material. Ammonia at levels common in poorly managed houses causes eye damage, respiratory irritation, and immune suppression. These welfare problems are preventable through litter management practices including appropriate stocking density, ventilation, litter depth, and material choice. Welfare certification schemes that include litter quality monitoring and foot pad dermatitis scoring as required outcomes are significantly more effective than those that do not.