Overview of commercial poultry production systems and their main welfare challenges

Commercial poultry production has changed since the 1950s. Genetic selection has resulted in two different types of commercial poultry, meat and egg-laying birds. Production systems for meat birds (chickens, turkeys, and ducks) are similar in their configuration and management, although there are some differences due to the species being grown and the desired days to market. In contrast, the table-egg industry is changing rapidly due to animal welfare concerns, particularly in developing countries, and egg-laying hens are now produced in a multitude of systems requiring different types of management expertise. We provide an overview of the commercial production systems commonly used for rearing meat birds and egg-laying hens. We also identify some of the major welfare challenges related to health and behavior within current systems, and discuss emerging consumer preferences that will shape poultry production systems, and their associated welfare concerns, in the near future.