Conventional fast-growing broiler breeds suffer severe welfare problems linked to rapid growth, and slower-growing alternatives offer meaningful improvement.
The welfare crisis in commercial broiler production stems directly from genetic selection for extreme growth rate at the expense of skeletal and cardiovascular development. Birds that grow twice as fast as their ancestors experience legs that cannot support their body weight, hearts and lungs that struggle to supply oxygen to rapidly growing muscle, and lives that involve chronic pain and reduced mobility from an early age. This is not an inevitable feature of poultry farming but a consequence of specific breed choices that prioritise feed conversion efficiency. Slower-growing breeds demonstrate conclusively that welfare and production can coexist, with birds that can walk, forage, and express natural behaviour far more effectively. Consumer demand for higher welfare chicken, expressed through purchasing and advocacy, is the most direct lever for change.