Broiler breeders — the parent birds of meat chickens — face severe welfare challenges due to genetic selection for rapid growth combined with deliberate feed restriction.
Broiler breeders represent one of the most complex welfare dilemmas in animal agriculture: birds must be feed-restricted because their growth genetics create life-threatening obesity if fed ad libitum, yet restriction causes chronic hunger and frustration. Welfare researchers have demonstrated using motivational tests that restricted birds are strongly motivated to eat more than they receive, confirming genuine hunger rather than mere appetite. Addressing this requires genetic reform at the breeding company level — selecting for moderate growth rates that allow adequate feeding — alongside improved environmental enrichment, foraging substrates, and feeding systems that distribute food more equitably.