July 3, 2026
Use our free Visual Guide on broiler welfare issues for your animal advocacy.
Use our free Visual Guide on broiler welfare issues for your animal advocacy.
At Expertise for Animals, we believe that veterinary knowledge should not remain confined to specialist settings. It should be used where it is needed most: to make a real difference for animals.
The Visual Guide is available as a free download. Simply scroll to the bottom of this page to access it.
Broilers show an immensely increased growth rate compared to older strains or their wild ancestors, the Red Junglefowl. Their high body weight negatively affects several organ systems, especially the musculoskeletal system, the cardiovascular system, and the skin. They frequently develop growth-related health problems, including leg disorders and lameness, skin lesions such as contact dermatitis, and cardiovascular diseases.
For each welfare issue, the guide explains what can be observed, why the observation matters from an animal welfare perspective, and the limitations of visual assessment. The guide also highlights important considerations regarding the interpretation of visual evidence, acknowledging that some conditions cannot be reliably assessed from images or video footage alone. The guide is 8 pages long and provides a concise, structured overview of key indicators.
This guide is currently still being developed. The guide is shared at this stage to support learning and feedback. We welcome your feedback.
Please note: The visuals used in this guide are drawn from investigative documentation of broiler production. While they illustrate real conditions observed in commercial production systems, in some cases there is no conclusive confirmation that the animals shown had the conditions described. The information presented is based on research from peer-reviewed scientific literature, legal expert opinions, and publications by EU and national authorities. This guide is intended for educational and informational purposes and has been prepared to the best of our knowledge.
