Broiler chickens are the most numerous land animals on Earth. Their welfare is compromised at every stage by genetics, density, and management practices driven by cost reduction.
Broiler chickens bred for extreme growth rates suffer cardiovascular disease, skeletal disorders, and chronic pain that are direct consequences of genetic selection. Leg disorders are so prevalent in commercial flocks that they have been described as an industry-wide welfare crisis. Pododermatitis (foot pad burns) from contact with ammonia-laden litter affects the majority of commercial birds. Catch and transport for slaughter are notoriously welfare-poor moments with wing fractures common. The concentration of suffering in broiler production — affecting tens of billions of individuals annually — makes it arguably the single most important welfare issue in contemporary food production.