Modern broiler genetics have created birds with extreme production efficiency at the cost of serious welfare compromise that reform programs are beginning to address.
Modern broiler genetics represent perhaps the most significant welfare harm caused by selective breeding — animals literally bred to grow faster than their bodies can healthily support. The musculoskeletal system cannot develop fast enough to support the rapidly growing muscle mass, the cardiovascular system cannot support rapid growth demands, and the respiratory system is often overwhelmed. These are not individual health problems but systemic, predictable consequences of deliberate breeding selection. Reform requires changing what we breed for, not just how we house these birds — a more fundamental intervention that requires sustained corporate and consumer commitment.