Broiler breeder hens and cockerels produce the eggs that hatch into commercial broilers. Their welfare is frequently neglected despite unique and severe challenges arising from their genetics.
Broiler breeder welfare represents a welfare problem that is structurally embedded in the commercial broiler production system. The fast-growing genetics that produce economical meat production in broilers create birds that, as breeders, would overeat to clinical obesity if not food-restricted. The restriction required is substantial: these birds experience chronic hunger throughout their productive lives. This is not a fixable management problem — it is the inherent welfare cost of the genetics. The welfare solution requires changing the genetics: using slower-growing parent stock that can be fed to satiety without health consequences. This links broiler breeder welfare directly to the broiler genetics reform agenda represented by the Better Chicken Commitment.