Broiler Breed Welfare: Fast Growth and Its Costs

Modern broiler chickens have been selectively bred for extremely rapid growth, achieving market weight in 35-42 days. This rapid growth comes with significant welfare costs including leg disorders, heart problems, and reduced activity.

Key Facts

Modern broilers grow approximately 3x faster than breeds from the 1950s
Fast-growing breeds spend significantly more time lying down due to leg weakness
Cardiac conditions including ascites and sudden death syndrome are common in fast-growing breeds
Leg disorders including tibial dyschondroplasia and contact dermatitis affect millions of birds
Slower-growing breeds show higher activity levels and fewer health problems
EU studies found fast-growing breeds have 3x higher rates of lameness than slower-growing alternatives

Welfare Considerations

The extreme growth rates of commercial broiler breeds create a fundamental conflict between productivity and welfare. Birds bred to grow at maximum speed frequently suffer from skeletal pain, cardiovascular strain, and immobility. Slower-growing breeds take longer to reach market weight but show markedly better welfare outcomes including higher activity, better leg health, and fewer cardiac problems. Higher welfare certifications like RSPCA Assured and the Better Chicken Commitment specify slower growth rates as a key requirement.

What You Can Do

Look for the RSPCA Assured label or products meeting the Better Chicken Commitment
Support retailers and food businesses that have committed to higher welfare chicken standards
Ask restaurants and food businesses about their chicken sourcing and welfare commitments
Reduce chicken consumption or shift to other protein sources where higher welfare is harder to verify
Write to your supermarket asking about their progress toward higher welfare broiler sourcing commitments