Broiler Breed Selection and Welfare Outcomes

How commercial broiler breed selection for rapid growth has created welfare problems, and the case for slower-growing alternative breeds.

Key Facts

Modern commercial broilers reach slaughter weight in 35-42 days compared to 80+ days for heritage breeds
Rapid growth causes leg disorders in up to 30% of commercial broilers
Heart and lung problems (ascites) are common in fast-growing breeds
Slower-growing breeds show dramatically reduced leg disorder and cardiovascular disease rates
The Better Chicken Commitment requires slower-growing breeds in signatory company supply chains

Welfare Considerations

Broiler breed selection is one of the clearest examples where production efficiency has been prioritized over animal welfare with devastating results. Modern commercial broilers grow so rapidly that their skeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems cannot keep pace. The result is endemic lameness, heart failure, and respiratory distress. These are not random disease events - they are predictable consequences of extreme selection for growth rate. Slower-growing breeds demonstrate that commercial chicken production is possible without these welfare problems, at modest cost increases that consumers and retailers can absorb.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken products from companies signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment
Support campaigns requiring slower-growing breed standards
Reduce chicken consumption from conventional fast-growing breed systems
Ask retailers which breed standards apply to their chicken products
Share information about how breed selection determines chicken welfare outcomes