Broiler Breeder Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Broiler breeder hens — the parents of meat chickens — face a unique welfare crisis caused by chronic hunger from feed restriction.

Key Facts

Broiler breeders must be feed-restricted or they grow too fast to reproduce
Restriction is typically 50-80% of what the birds would eat if given free access
Restricted birds show intense hunger-related behaviors including feather pecking and aggression
Without restriction, broiler breeders develop skeletal problems and die young
This welfare dilemma is a direct consequence of selecting for extreme growth rate in commercial broilers

Welfare Considerations

Broiler breeder welfare represents one of the most ethically troubling dilemmas in farm animal welfare: birds are genetically programmed to overeat but must be chronically underfed to survive and reproduce. Neither option is acceptable from a welfare standpoint, and the root cause is the extreme selection pressure for growth rate in broiler chickens. Breeding programs that select for moderate growth rates in commercial broilers would eliminate the need for feed restriction in breeders, resolving this welfare crisis at its genetic source.

What You Can Do

Support Better Chicken Commitment signatories who commit to slower-growing breeds
Advocate for breed standard changes that eliminate the need for broiler breeder feed restriction
Reduce chicken consumption to lower demand driving extreme growth-rate selection
Support research into broiler genetics that separates growth rate from reproductive viability
Share information about broiler breeder suffering with those engaged in poultry welfare