Hock burn from wet litter contact is a common painful condition in broilers that is substantially reducible through improved litter and housing management.
Broilers with hock burn experience pain from contact dermatitis that worsens throughout the production cycle. Severe hock burn causes deep tissue lesions causing clear welfare suffering. The condition is caused by prolonged contact with wet, ammonia-rich litter that is itself caused by overcrowding, ventilation failure, and drinking system leaks. Welfare-focused management maintains dry, friable litter through appropriate stocking density, good ventilation, and drinker management. Hock burn scoring at slaughter provides objective feedback to producers about the welfare outcomes of their management during the preceding production cycle.