Broiler chickens selectively bred for maximum growth rate experience severe leg problems that cause chronic pain. This is among the most prevalent welfare problems in commercial meat production globally.
Broiler chicken lameness is not a management failure — it is a predictable consequence of extreme selective breeding for growth rate. The skeletal system cannot keep pace with muscle mass growth, leading to leg deformities, joint disease, and chronic pain that affects millions of birds throughout their short lives. Lame birds struggle to reach food and water, experience pain with every movement, and spend significantly more time lying in ammonia-soaked litter. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds with appropriate space and enrichment dramatically reduces lameness prevalence.