This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on poultry housing systems. The first chapter reviews current poultry housing systems and the recent emergence of enriched cages and cage-free systems. It explores the impact of conventional cages on bird health and welfare, looking primarily at bone health. The second chapter examines the impact of different housing systems on the safety and quality of eggs. It reviews how hen housing and flock management can affect indicator populations, foodborne pathogens and chemical contamination. The third chapter considers the relationship between housing conditions and management in the rearing and production of broilers. It reviews the major welfare issues related to the housing of broilers, including feed and water restriction. The fourth chapter discusses current environmental enrichment strategies implemented in poultry production. The chapter details the benefits of these strategies, as well as their role in contributing to more sustainable production models. The final chapter reviews current knowledge on perching behaviour of chickens, as well as the associated risks to bird health and welfare that arise with the use of elevated structures, such as keel bone damage.

"Each chapter provides an overview of current knowledge on the topic in question, accompanied by an outline of advances in both scientific and applied fields. The chapters are written by twenty-five authors, all scientific experts in the subject discussed... In conclusion, Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of chickens is an expertly written, widely accessible book for all professionals in the field, which should provide increased understanding of chicken behaviour and welfare." (Animal Welfare - Universities Federation for Animal Welfare) With rising consumer concerns about the welfare of farm animals, such as chickens, there is a growing urgency for the livestock production sector to ensure that welfare standards are met throughout the supply chain, from breeding to slaughter. Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of chickens offers a comprehensive summary on the wealth of recent research completed on understanding chicken behaviour and discusses how best to use this rich body of knowledge to optimise welfare management of broilers and layers. This collection features expert insights into the use of wearable, video and acoustic technologies as a means of monitoring behaviour, as well as improving current welfare protocols. With its distinguished editor and team of leading experts in their fields, Understanding the behaviour and improving the welfare of chickens will be a standard text for university researchers in poultry and veterinary science as well as ethology. The book will also be an authoritative reference for government and other agencies responsible for the poultry sector and farm animal welfare, as well as companies involved in rearing chickens and processing poultry meat and eggs.