The contribution of environmental enrichment to sustainable poultry production

Abstract

Environmental enrichment comprises stimuli added to the poultry housing environment to enhance the biological adaptation of the birds and improve their welfare. By promoting species-typical behavior, it has the potential to reduce the risk of harmful behaviors (e.g., piling, cannibalism, forced matings) and health conditions (e.g., scratches, footpad dermatitis, leg problems), and guide birds to use the available resources more uniformly. Environmental enrichment may also promote positive emotional states and enhance the birds’ ability to cope with unpredictable environmental changes. It represents a potentially valuable strategy for enhancing the sustainability of poultry meat production by reducing losses and improving social acceptability. Keywords: Environmental enrichment, environmental complexity, poultry welfare, poultry health, poultry behavior, stress resilience