Broiler breeders — the parent birds of fast-growing meat chickens — suffer from feed restriction to prevent obesity-related diseases. This creates a severe chronic welfare problem largely invisible to consumers.
Broiler breeder welfare represents a fundamental conflict built into the genetics of modern meat chicken production. The parent stock of fast-growing broilers carries genes that, when expressed without restriction, produce birds that develop life-threatening obesity, heart failure, and leg disorders within weeks. Feed restriction prevents these acute problems but imposes a different and pervasive welfare cost: chronic hunger. Studies using cognitive bias tests and other validated measures confirm that restricted broiler breeders experience negative affective states equivalent to significant suffering. This is not a problem solvable through better management within existing genetics — it is a consequence of selecting for extreme growth rates. The long-term welfare solution requires transitioning to slower-growing breeds throughout the supply chain, which would eliminate the restriction imperative.