The selection of livestock for feed efficiency — converting the least feed into the most meat — has welfare implications when combined with genetic selection for traits that cause health problems at high production levels.
Feed efficiency selection creates a welfare challenge when efficiency gains come at the cost of animal structural integrity and health. The broiler chicken is the clearest case: extraordinary feed efficiency achieved through genetic selection for rapid growth has created an animal whose body cannot support its muscle mass without significant leg and cardiovascular problems. Selection programs that balance production efficiency with health and structural soundness traits exist and demonstrate that these goals are not incompatible when both are explicitly prioritized. Consumer demand for welfare-certified products that require slower-growing breeds sends market signals that can redirect genetic selection priorities in more welfare-positive directions.