Broiler breeder chickens — the parents of commercial meat chickens — suffer a distinctive welfare problem: they are genetically programmed to eat ravenously but must be kept chronically hungry to prevent fatal obesity and reproductive failure.
Feed restriction in broiler breeders is one of the most ethically troubling practices in commercial poultry production. These birds are in a state of chronic hunger — their genetic drive to eat is unsatisfied by design, every day of their productive lives. They are not food-deprived due to shortage but deliberately restricted to maintain the reproductive function of animals whose genetics were never designed with welfare in mind. The evidence of their suffering is clear: they work harder for food than any other measure of motivation in animal behaviour research. Addressing this welfare problem requires either genetic change — breeding slower-growing, less voracious parent stock — or dietary innovation, not simply better management of the existing system.