Broiler Chicken Welfare: Welfare Outcomes at Scale

Broiler chickens are the most numerous farmed land animals on Earth. Understanding their welfare challenges helps consumers, advocates, and policymakers prioritize the most impactful improvements.

Key Facts

Approximately 70 billion broiler chickens are slaughtered annually worldwide — about 9 for every human on Earth
Modern commercial broilers grow to slaughter weight (2 kg) in approximately 35-42 days — less than half the time of slower-growing breeds used 50 years ago
Lameness affects 20-30% of commercial broilers due to rapid growth that outpaces skeletal and cardiovascular development
Breast muscle myopathies including white striping and woody breast — caused by extreme muscle growth — affect 50-80% of commercial flocks and impair muscle blood supply
Heart failure from cardiovascular systems unable to keep pace with growth rate affects approximately 1% of flocks — representing hundreds of millions of birds annually
Slower-growing breeds show dramatically lower rates of lameness, ascites, and myopathy
The Better Chicken Commitment, adopted by hundreds of companies, requires shift to slower-growing breeds by 2026

Welfare Considerations

Broiler chicken welfare is the single largest farmed animal welfare problem by number of individuals affected. The selective breeding for rapid growth has produced birds whose bodies are fundamentally mismatched to their physiology: skeletal systems cannot support their weight, cardiovascular systems cannot supply enough blood to massive muscles, and immune systems are compromised by chronic stress. The result is pervasive suffering across an almost incomprehensible number of individuals. A lame broiler chicken — unable to walk to food and water, resting on chest sores — is suffering in a way that is both certain and preventable. The existence of slower-growing breeds that can achieve similar production outcomes with far less suffering demonstrates that this welfare crisis is a choice, not a necessity.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken products with higher welfare certification such as Global Animal Partnership Step 3+, which require slower-growing breeds
Support the Better Chicken Commitment by purchasing from and encouraging food companies that have signed on
Reduce or eliminate chicken consumption — this is the most direct way to reduce demand for fast-growing broiler production
Contact fast-food chains, grocery retailers, and food companies asking about their broiler welfare commitments
Support advocacy organizations working on broiler welfare including the Humane League's Open Wing Alliance
Learn about the welfare differences between fast and slow-growing broiler breeds and share this information
Advocate for legislative standards requiring slower-growing breeds and minimum space allowances in commercial broiler production