Reducing early-life stress in broilers helps improve performance, welfare

Minimizing bird stress is critical for maintaining good welfare and flock performance, but it’s especially critical when birds are less than 4 weeks old, a Virginia Tech study shows. “Our results confirmed that stress impacts tend to decrease with age,” reported Alexandra Ulans, graduate student at Virginia Tech, at the 2024 International Poultry Scientific Forum. “The period up to 4 weeks of age is a particularly vulnerable time. We recommend that producers try to limit stressors during this period to potentially improve the broilers’ well-being, supporting better performance and welfare.” Read more