Modern broiler chicken breeds have been selectively bred for such rapid growth that their bodies frequently cannot support their own weight, creating endemic welfare problems across the commercial poultry industry.
The broiler chicken welfare crisis is a direct product of selective breeding that prioritised growth rate above all other considerations, producing animals whose bodies are mismatched to their own physiology. Leg disorders so severe that chickens cannot reach food and water, cardiovascular failure, and skin conditions from immobility are not management failures in otherwise sound systems — they are the predictable consequence of breeding animals for production traits incompatible with wellbeing. The shift to slower-growing breeds is the single most impactful welfare intervention available for broiler chickens, and consumer and corporate commitment to the Better Chicken Commitment is the primary market lever.