Modern broiler chickens have been selectively bred for rapid growth, creating significant welfare problems. Slower-growing breeds offer a pathway to improved welfare without abandoning commercial viability.
Broiler genetics represent the single most impactful welfare reform available in commercial chicken production. The modern commercial broiler has been bred to a point where rapid growth itself is the primary disease — the body cannot support the weight being generated, causing leg deformities, heart conditions, and metabolic disorders. This is not a management problem that better husbandry can solve — it is a genetic problem requiring a genetic solution. Slower-growing breeds, already commercially deployed by progressive producers, grow at rates compatible with physiological health. The production cost increase is real but manageable, particularly where retailer commitments create market demand for higher-welfare product. Consumer and corporate pressure through campaigns like the Better Chicken Commitment is the most effective lever for change.