How slow-growth broiler breeds improve welfare outcomes compared to fast-growing commercial lines, and industry transitions supporting higher welfare chicken production.
Fast-growing broiler genetics are perhaps the clearest example of selective breeding creating a systematic welfare problem. Birds genetically programmed to grow so fast their bodies cannot keep pace experience chronic pain from skeletal and cardiovascular stress — not as a production failure but as an intended outcome of the breeding program. Slow-growth breeds represent a welfare improvement achievable within existing production infrastructure. The Better Chicken Commitment, adopted by major food companies globally, is demonstrating that industry-wide welfare improvement is achievable through coordinated consumer and retailer pressure.