Meat Chicken Welfare Globally | Animal Welfare Hub

Broiler chickens are the most numerous farmed land animal globally, with their welfare shaped by a few large genetics companies that supply almost all commercial production.

Key Facts

Three companies — Aviagen, Cobb-Vantress, and Hendrix Genetics — supply genetics for over 90% of global broiler production
Breed selection for fast growth creates inherited welfare problems that appear in every bird
The global standard breed Ross 308 reaches slaughter weight in 35 days versus 84 days for slower-growing alternatives
Fast-growing breeds have difficulty walking by week 5-6 of their 5-6 week life
Slower-growing breeds approved by the Better Chicken Commitment add approximately 10-15 cents per bird in production cost

Welfare Considerations

The consolidation of broiler genetics into a handful of companies means that the welfare of 70 billion birds annually is determined primarily by breeding decisions made by a very small number of people and institutions. Advocacy targeting genetics companies and major customers who specify breed requirements can have leverage disproportionate to typical consumer welfare campaigns. The availability of proven welfare-improved breeds at modest cost premium makes breed transition one of the most tractable welfare improvements available in animal agriculture.

What You Can Do

Support Better Chicken Commitment signatory companies
Advocate for food service companies to commit to slower-growing breed procurement
Share information about the genetics bottleneck in broiler welfare with advocates
Support Compassion in World Farming campaigns targeting genetics companies
Reduce broiler consumption from operations using fast-growing breeds