Strategies to Improve Welfare of Broilers in Conventional Systems

The French broiler industry is evolving in line with scientific advances and growing societal expectations regarding animal welfare. The COCORICO project (2021–2024) supported this transition by identifying the behavioural needs of broilers and developing solutions through co-design workshops involving researchers, industry stakeholders and NGOs. Various practices (e.g. reduced stocking density) and enrichments (e.g. platforms, outdoor winter gardens) were tested on commercial farms and experimental stations. These measures can stimulate activity, reduce certain health issues and promote the expression of natural behaviours. However, increasing the complexity of the housing environment appears promising but remains difficult to implement in commercial production systems. A multi-criteria assessment was then used to compare two scenarios designed to improve upon the standard system: Standard+ (addition of environmental enrichments) and ECC (European Chicken Commitment), which combines environmental enrichments, reduced stocking density and the use of a slower-growing genetic strain. The ECC scenario leads to a greater improvement in animal welfare but also results in higher costs and lower productivity. In contrast, the Standard+ scenario offers a balanced compromise at moderate cost. The implementation of these scenarios will depend on industry support, strategic decisions and consumer willingness to pay.