Broiler breeder birds — the parents of fast-growing broiler chickens — suffer chronic hunger due to feed restriction imposed to prevent obesity-related mortality. This is one of agriculture's most significant welfare problems.
Broiler breeder welfare represents one of the most ethically troubling welfare problems in commercial poultry. The genetic selection that makes fast-growing broilers economically efficient has created parent birds whose natural appetites, if satisfied, would kill them — and whose suppression through chronic restriction causes sustained hunger and associated suffering. A chronically hungry bird that spends significant time performing stereotypic behaviours and competing aggressively for limited food is not in positive welfare. The duration of this suffering — throughout the entire productive life of parent birds — makes the welfare cost very large in aggregate. The welfare case for transitioning to slower-growing breeds that do not require extreme restriction is compelling, and the Better Chicken Commitment's requirement for slower-growing breeds addresses this problem in its supply chain implications. Within existing fast-growing breed systems, improvements to feeding frequency, enrichment to redirect food-motivated behaviour, and monitoring of hunger-related stereotypies offer partial mitigation. Genuine resolution requires breed-level reform.