Comparison of Health Condition of Broilers and Laying Hens Raised in Conventional and Animal Welfare-certified Chicken Farms

As consumer interest in the welfare of industrial animals increases, there is a shift from conventional farming practices to welfare-certified farming systems. Despite investigations into the facilities and morphological characteristics of chickens in welfare-certified poultry farms in South Korea, comparative studies between welfare-certified poultry farms and conventional poultry farms are still limited. This study focused on observing morphological differences between chickens in conventional and welfare-certified poultry farming systems, specifically in broilers and layers. In broilers, we compared feather condition, lameness, hock burn, and bumblefoot, but no significant differences were observed between the two types of farms. In laying hens, however, feather conditions of the breast, belly, wing, and tail, as well as morphological features such as the keel bone, foot pad, and claw, were found to be better in welfare-oriented farming systems. Significant differences were observed in laying hens due to the substantial structural and facility differences between conventional and welfare-oriented systems. Further in-depth studies are needed to explore the effects of welfare-oriented farming on physical changes in poultry and other industrial animals.