Moving beyond absence-of-suffering to evidence-based positive welfare states in broiler chicken production is an emerging focus of animal welfare science.
Positive welfare requires not just the absence of suffering but the presence of pleasurable states and the ability to express natural behaviour. Broilers housed with enrichment show more dustbathing, exploration, play and social behaviour, indicating positive affective states. Welfare priorities include providing enriched environments that enable these behaviours, selecting slower-growing breeds with greater mobility, and measuring positive indicators alongside negative ones.