Broiler Breed Reform: Slower Growth, Better Lives

Modern fast-growing broiler breeds reach slaughter weight in 35 days but suffer chronic leg pain, heart failure, and inability to perform natural behaviours. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds is a central welfare reform demand.

Key Facts

Conventional broilers have been selectively bred to grow roughly 300% faster than 1950s birds
Fast-growing breeds commonly suffer from tibial dyschondroplasia, hock burns, and contact dermatitis
Heart conditions including ascites and sudden death syndrome affect up to 5% of fast-growing flocks
Many fast-growing broilers spend significant time lying down due to leg pain and excess body weight
Slower-growing breeds such as Label Rouge (France) take 80+ days to reach slaughter weight
Research shows slower-growing birds have better gait scores, lower mortality, and more active behaviour
Major retailers including Marks & Spencer and Waitrose have committed to slower-growing breed standards
The Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) advocates for slower-growing breeds alongside other welfare improvements

Welfare Considerations

The welfare problems associated with fast-growing broiler breeds are systemic and severe. Chronic leg pain affects a significant proportion of every flock, limiting movement and preventing natural foraging, dustbathing, and social behaviour. The birds' rapid growth outpaces their skeletal and cardiovascular development, creating animals that are fundamentally ill-suited to their own bodies. Welfare assessments consistently show that gait impairment — the primary marker of leg pain — is near-universal at the worst end of the spectrum. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds does not eliminate all welfare concerns — housing conditions, stocking density, and litter management remain important — but it addresses a fundamental biological incompatibility. The economic argument against slower-growing breeds (higher feed costs, longer grow-out) is real but manageable with consumer willingness to pay modest price premiums. Several European markets demonstrate that commercial viability is achievable.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken products from brands that have signed the Better Chicken Commitment
Look for free-range and organic chicken labels that typically use slower-growing breeds
Ask your supermarket or restaurant chain about their broiler breed and welfare standards
Reduce chicken consumption overall, as scale of production is the underlying driver of breed selection
Support organisations campaigning for slower-growing breed adoption in national poultry industries