Standard fast-growing broiler breeds suffer systemic welfare problems. Slow-growth alternatives demonstrate that productive chicken farming without endemic suffering is possible.
The welfare case for slow-growth chicken breeds is compelling and well-evidenced. Fast-growing genetics create birds whose physiology cannot support their own body weight — cardiac failure, skeletal disorders, and inability to reach feed and water affect significant proportions of commercial flocks. Slow-growth breeds, while less efficient, have dramatically lower rates of these breed-related welfare problems. The Better Chicken Commitment, signed by hundreds of food companies, commits to transitioning to slow-growth breeds — a corporate welfare commitment that would benefit billions of chickens annually if fully implemented.