ABSTRACT
Access to an outdoor area by commercial poultry is often perceived as a guarantee of animal welfare because of the wider possibilities for the birds to express natural behaviour including locomotory behaviours (Keppler and Folsch, 2000), foraging, playing and sunbathing (Fig. 10). In broilers, the extra space provided and the higher possibilities for exercise may have additional positive effects in regard to leg health (Fanatico et al., 2005), reduced risk of contact dermatitis and improved feather condition.
