Broiler breeder chickens — the parents of commercial broiler chickens — are chronically food-restricted to prevent the obesity and heart failure that would otherwise kill them before breeding age. This creates significant and largely invisible welfare suffering.
Broiler breeder welfare represents a welfare problem created by the breeding choices made for commercial broiler production. Birds genetically selected for maximum meat yield in offspring retain the extreme appetite and growth genetics without being allowed to express them. Chronic food restriction to prevent death from overconsumption creates birds that spend their lives in a state of perpetual hunger — measuring hunger motivation through preference testing shows these birds work hard for additional food beyond their ration. Alternative slow-growing breeding lines where feed restriction is reduced or eliminated show better welfare profiles. The welfare cost of broiler breeder production is largely invisible to consumers who see only the broiler chicken or egg in the final product.