Species: Broiler chicken

Bridging the Gap: A Comparative Analysis of Industry Approaches and Scientific Perspectives on Broiler Health and Welfare in Europe

Vonholdt-Wenker ML, Nofrarías M, Cerdà-Cuéllar M, Majó N, de Jong IC, and Malchow J

Published in 2026

Comparative analysis showing a strong alignment between the challenges identified by the BroilerNet project and the EFSA’s recommendations on broiler welfare. However, certain key measures — including reducing stocking densities, providing outdoor access, and the use of slower-growing genetics — were not identified as best practices in BroilerNet. 

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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Use of Enrichment in Broilers

EURCAW-Poultry-SFA

Published in 2026

Protocole spécifique d’évaluation des enrichissements environnementaux chez les poulets de chair

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Bored birds? Researchers are exploring boredom as a potential welfare concern in poultry

Chloe Phelps, Virginia Tech, Leonie Jacobs

Published in 2026

An article describing boredom in poultry. Linked to a lack of stimulation, it could pose a welfare issue for poultry raised in poorly enriched environments.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Impact of broiler chicken production on welfare, the environment, and potential mitigation strategies: a review

Prakash A., Singh M. K., Dash S. K., Malav O. P., Singh Y., Sharma A., P. Acharya S. K., Joshi Patel M. K.

Published in 2026

Review article highlighting that intensive broiler chicken farming raises significant concerns over animal welfare and environmental impact that call for more sustainable approaches to genetics, nutrition, and farm management.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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Manual Catching and Transportation of Poultry with a Focus on Chickens and European Practices

Hettmannsperger, M.A., Ruhnke, I.

Published in 2026

Synthesis highlighting that the methods used to catch and handle poultry have a significant impact on their welfare and that more comprehensive and standardized assessment is required throughout the transport chain.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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The first evaluation framework based on the one welfare concept in extensive broiler rearing systems

Rocchi, L., Mattioli, S., Collin, A. C., Bonnefous, L., Warin, F., Tuyttens, P., Thobe, M., Re, C., Castellini

Published in 2026

A study testing a "One Welfare" approach to jointly assess animal, human, and environmental well-being in extensive broiler farming. It reveals benefits (e.g., plant-based enrichment) that are often underestimated by traditional methods.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Effect of scattering black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) as litter enrichment on the growth performance, gut development, and active behavior of fast- and slow-growing broilers

Chris Onuoha, Ashraf Alkhtib, Dawn Scholey, Emily J. Burton

Published in 2026

A study showing that spreading insect larvae on the litter as an enrichment strategy stimulates activity in fast-growing chickens without affecting their performance, suggesting benefits for their welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

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Do windows matter in poultry housing? What welfare and behavior tell us

Tarek Youssef

Published in 2026

Scientific review highlighting that natural light improves behavior and reduces fear in poultry, but that its effects on their health remain unclear.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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Assessing good physical health and resilience as a foundation for positive welfare in chickens

Lisa Jung, Ruth C. Newberry, Yukari Togami, Manja Zupan Šemrov

Published in 2026

Study proposing anatomical and physiological indicators to assess the health and resilience of chickens, with a view to developing proactive and potentially automated assessment tools to support positive animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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Rethinking Poultry Welfare—Integrating Behavioral Science and Digital Innovations to Improve Animal Well-Being

Suresh Neethirajan

Published in 2026

Review article describing the welfare challenges associated with the intensification of poultry farming and the innovative solutions (behavioral, sensor-based, AI) that have been developed to address them, while emphasizing the need to validate and standardize such novel tools and to develop a sustainable interdisciplinary production pathway. 

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

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