Broiler breeder chickens — the parents of fast-growing meat birds — are kept chronically hungry to prevent obesity caused by their genetics, creating one of the most profound welfare problems in commercial poultry farming.
Broiler breeder welfare represents a fundamental conflict embedded in the genetics of commercial poultry: birds selected for rapid growth in their offspring are themselves predisposed to grow too fast to survive as breeding adults. The solution imposed by the industry — severe chronic feed restriction — prevents the physical consequences of obesity but causes prolonged hunger that motivation testing reveals is one of the most potent negative welfare states in these birds. Broiler breeders on standard restriction programs are perpetually hungry, and the behavioral evidence — constant food-seeking, aggression, stereotypies — makes this clear. Solutions include genetic selection for slower-growing, healthier breeding lines and transition to satiety-based feeding systems.