Broiler breeders — the parent birds of commercial chickens — are deliberately feed-restricted to prevent the health problems caused by their genetics, creating chronic hunger as a severe welfare cost.
Broiler breeder welfare presents one of the most ethically troubling paradoxes in modern poultry farming. To maintain health and reproductive capacity, parent birds must be chronically food-restricted — yet their genetics create an overwhelming drive to eat. The result is animals that spend much of their lives in a state of hunger-driven frustration, performing food-seeking behaviors in empty feeders. Alternative feeding strategies that reduce time spent hungry without changing total caloric intake show promise, but the most durable solution is genetic reform toward slower-growing lines that do not require such severe restriction.