The comparison between fast-growing and slower-growing broiler breeds reveals stark differences in welfare outcomes, with conventional fast-growing breeds carrying serious health burdens.
The welfare differences between conventional fast-growing and slower-growing broiler breeds are among the most significant documented in farm animal science. Fast-growing breeds experience chronic pain from lameness, difficulty breathing from respiratory and cardiac strain, and are often unable to walk to food and water. They spend most of their short lives sitting in litter, leading to painful hock burns and breast blisters. Slower-growing breeds show dramatically better welfare outcomes: they move more, display more natural behaviours, and have far lower rates of painful conditions. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds is one of the highest-impact changes the poultry industry can make for animal welfare.