Transitioning broiler production from fast-growing to slower-growing breeds is the most impactful single welfare improvement available in chicken farming, producing measurably healthier, more active birds.
Breed selection is the single most impactful welfare decision in broiler production because fast-growing breeds are physiologically compromised by design. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds does not require housing changes, new technology, or regulatory mandates — it requires a breed change that producers can make immediately. The welfare difference is dramatic: birds that can walk comfortably, forage actively, and live without the chronic leg pain and cardiovascular stress of fast-growing breeds. The Better Chicken Commitment and similar initiatives are successfully driving this transition through corporate supply chain requirements, demonstrating that market mechanisms can achieve significant welfare improvements when consumer and retailer pressure creates incentives.