Auditing Tools and Animal Welfare Indicators for Broiler Chickens

Introduction

Animal welfare audits evaluate whether a hatchery, farm, or processing plant is meeting the specific animal welfare standards of a certification program. Audits may be internal to a certain company, or they could be a requirement for animal welfare certification. Certification programs have their own set of standards and audits, which are typically created in collaboration with producers, veterinarians, industry professionals, and scientists. Audits in the United States are generally voluntary, as producers can decide which program and audit standards to follow, if any.

Audit standards incorporate science-based animal welfare measures that mainly focus on housing and management conditions, which refer to what is provided to them in their environment. Audit standards also include animal-based measures, which refer to the experiences of the animal. Animal-based measures are direct measures of welfare based on the animals’ responses to housing and management conditions.

Audits are typically performed annually and assure customers and consumers that animal welfare standards are being met.

Audit Types

Three types of audits are commonly performed. First- party audits are internal and performed by a hatchery, producer, or processor at their own integrated site.

These audits are useful for self-evaluation, allowing a company to make continual improvements within its organization. Second-party audits are performed by a company’s customer. The goal of a second-party audit is to ensure that the customer’s requirements are being met. Third-party audits are performed by an audit organization independent of the supplier-customer relationship. The goal of a third-party audit is to ensure that animal welfare standards are being met for a certain certification. Various certification programs for broilers exist in the United States (see PEC article vol. 22). For information about them, see Volume 22 of the Poultry Extension Collaborative Poultry Press (http://bit. ly/4jxX6jc).

The Audit Process

During an audit, animal welfare standards are measured using inputs (resource-based measures) and animal- based indicators (animal-based measures). Inputs are aspects related to the environment the birds are raised in, including the resources and management that poultry are reared with. These inputs can impact animal welfare, but do not give direct insights into the welfare state of an individual animal. Some examples of inputs include stocking density, litter quality, handling techniques, and veterinary care practices.

While these inputs are valuable in assessing the animals’ living conditions and identifying potential risks and opportunities for animal welfare, they should be used in conjunction with direct measures of welfare, based on the animals’ responses to their housing and management conditions. Animal-based indicators focus on the health, behavior, and affective experiences of an animal, which more directly reflect their actual animal welfare state. These indicators give us insight into how animals survive in the conditions they are provided with. To identify a welfare problem and its associative risk factors, both animal-based indicators and inputs need to be collected. This information can then be used to determine corrective or preventive actions needed within the flock.

Examples from U.S. Broiler Welfare Certification Programs

Tables 1-3 show examples of animal welfare certification programs and the animal-based indicators for broilers recorded during their audits (American Humane Certified 2019; Certified Humane, n.d.; Farm Animal Care Training and Auditing, n.d.; and Global Animal Partnership 2025). Each indicator includes the sample size, scoring method, and pass/fail threshold (tables were adapted from: Better Chicken Commitment, 2023. The National Chicken Council (2022) auditing guidelines with specific compliance standards are also included in the tables. Producers can use this information to evaluate different certification programs to see which might be the best fit for their operations.

Farms or processors may pass or fail an audit based on how they scored for all indicators assessed. This pass/ fail threshold differs between programs. For American Humane Certified, the audit is passed when the score is ≥ 832.15/979 points, or 85% compliance. For Certified Humane and G.A.P Level 1, the audit outcome needs to comply 100% with the audit standards. For Farm Animal Care Training & Auditing, the audited companies need a score of ≥ 888/1,110 points, or 80% compliance. When audited with the National Chicken Council audit guidelines, the audit needs to have ≥ 985/1,160 points, or 85% compliance to pass.

Summary

Third-party animal-welfare audits are used in the poultry industry to ensure integrated hatcheries, farms, and processing plants are meeting certification standards of a program. These audits incorporate animal-based indicators and inputs that can help producers identify welfare issues and their associated risk factors.

Comparisons of animal-welfare indicators between certification programs shows that there are different methods of scoring and sampling, as well as different compliance standards. Poultry producers should consider comparing these animal welfare certification programs to determine which is the best fit for them.

Additional Resources

Main, D. C. J., H. R. Whay, C. Leeb, and A. J. F. Webster. 2007. “Formal Animal-Based Welfare Assessment in UK Certification Schemes.” Animal Welfare 16, no. 2 (2007): 233–36. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0962728600031419.

Manning, L., S. A. Chadd, and R. N. Baines. 2007. “Key Health and Welfare Indicators for Broiler Production.” World’s Poultry Science Journal 63 (1): 46–62. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0043933907001262.

USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). n.d. “Animal Welfare Audits and Certification Programs.” Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.nal.usda.gov/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-welfare-audit-and-certification-programs.

References

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