Instant Insights: Poultry Housing Systems

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on poultry housing systems. The first chapter reviews current poultry housing systems and the recent emergence of enriched cages and cage-free systems. It explores the impact of conventional cages on bird health and welfare, looking primarily at bone health. The second chapter examines the impact of different housing systems on the safety and quality of eggs. It reviews how hen housing and flock management can affect indicator populations, foodborne pathogens and chemical contamination. The third chapter considers the relationship between housing conditions and management in the rearing and production of broilers. It reviews the major welfare issues related to the housing of broilers, including feed and water restriction. The fourth chapter discusses current environmental enrichment strategies implemented in poultry production. The chapter details the benefits of these strategies, as well as their role in contributing to more sustainable production models. The final chapter reviews current knowledge on perching behaviour of chickens, as well as the associated risks to bird health and welfare that arise with the use of elevated structures, such as keel bone damage.