Broiler breeder chickens are subjected to severe chronic feed restriction to prevent obesity-related health problems, creating a lasting welfare controversy around the management of birds selected for rapid growth.
Broiler breeder feed restriction represents one of the most ethically challenging routine practices in poultry production. The birds are genetically driven to seek food intensely, and restriction to a fraction of their desired intake causes a state of chronic frustration and hunger that persists throughout their productive life. Behavioral indicators of hunger including excessive oral activity, stereotypic pecking at feeders after feed is consumed, and high food motivation in choice tests confirm that these birds experience the deprivation as aversive. The practice is driven by genetics selected for production efficiency in offspring rather than welfare of the parent birds, creating a systemic welfare problem that can only be fully resolved through changes in breeding objectives.