Broiler chickens raised for meat are the most numerous farm animals globally. Selective breeding for extreme growth rates and high-density housing are the primary welfare concerns, and reform campaigns are gaining traction.
Broiler chicken welfare represents the single largest farm animal welfare challenge by sheer numbers. The combination of extreme growth rate breeding, high stocking densities, and short lives means billions of chickens experience chronic pain and compromised mobility as a normal part of their brief existence. This is not an accident of ignorance — the welfare harms of fast-growing breeds were documented decades ago — but the result of economic priorities. The Better Chicken Commitment provides a scientifically grounded welfare standard that is commercially achievable, as demonstrated by major UK retailers and food service companies that have already transitioned. The gap is market demand sufficient to justify the 5-10% retail price increase that welfare-positive production requires. Building that demand through consumer education and corporate campaigns is the primary lever for change.