Modern broiler chickens have been selectively bred to grow so fast that their bodies often cannot support their own weight, causing chronic pain and disability for billions of birds annually.
Fast-growing broiler breeds represent a welfare emergency at scale. These birds are genetically programmed for growth rates their cardiovascular and skeletal systems cannot support. Many spend their final weeks unable to walk normally, resting on litter that burns their skin. Lameness — one of the most reliably pain-indicative conditions in any species — is so common it is considered an industry norm rather than an exception. The sheer number of individuals affected makes this one of the largest sources of preventable animal suffering on Earth. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds, as some European retailers have committed to, meaningfully reduces suffering without fundamentally altering chicken production systems.