Assessing walking ability in broilers on farm

Gait scoring remains the most widely used method for assessing walking ability in broilers due to its ease of being implemented on-farm. However, its subjectivity can make comparison between farms scored by different observers difficult. This has led to the development of the more objective latency-to-lie test that is highly linked with gait scores. This factsheet provides a description of how to assess walking ability in broilers using either the Welfare Quality® assessment protocol for gait scoring or the latency-to-lie test.