The extreme feed efficiency of modern broiler chickens is a product of selective breeding that has created profound welfare problems. Understanding this relationship helps evaluate proposals for welfare improvement.
Feed efficiency and welfare represent a fundamental trade-off in broiler production. The genetic selection that has achieved extraordinary feed conversion efficiency has simultaneously caused the health problems — cardiovascular failure, leg disorders, respiratory compromise — that define the broiler welfare crisis. Slowing growth improves welfare because it allows musculoskeletal development to keep pace with body weight gain. The feed efficiency trade-off is real — slower-growing birds consume more feed per kg of meat produced. However, the welfare premium — dramatically reduced suffering per bird across the production cycle — justifies this trade-off from a welfare perspective. Consumer demand for welfare-certified slower-growing chicken at price premiums creates the market signal needed to make transition economically viable.