Farmed Chicken Broiler Welfare: From Barn to Better Standards

Broiler chickens represent the single largest category of farmed land animals, and welfare improvements in this sector have some of the greatest potential impact on total animal suffering.

Key Facts

Approximately 70 billion broiler chickens are slaughtered globally each year making them the most numerically dominant farmed land animal
Fast-growing commercial breeds grow to slaughter weight in 35-42 days causing chronic leg problems, heart failure, and skin lesions in a large proportion
Slower-growing breeds taking 56-70 days to market weight show dramatically lower prevalence of production-related welfare problems
The Better Chicken Commitment signed by hundreds of food companies commits to slower-growing breeds, improved space, and better welfare outcomes
Welfare outcome measures including walking ability, hock burns, and mortality rates provide objective welfare assessment across production systems

Welfare Considerations

Broiler chicken welfare represents the most numerically significant farmed animal welfare issue given the extraordinary scale of production. The combination of extreme growth rate selection, high stocking density, and barren environments creates systemic welfare problems affecting the majority of the 70 billion birds slaughtered annually. The Better Chicken Commitment offers a credible industry transition pathway to meaningfully better welfare through breed change, space increases, enrichment, and welfare outcome monitoring. Corporate adoption and consumer support for this commitment represents one of the highest-impact welfare interventions available through individual action.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken products from companies signed to Better Chicken Commitment and using slower-growing breeds
Engage with retailers and food service companies to support their Better Chicken Commitment adoption
Reduce chicken consumption or substitute with plant-based alternatives while welfare standards remain poor across most production
Support advocacy organizations working on corporate Better Chicken Commitment adoption and implementation accountability