How alternative broiler breed selection addresses the fundamental welfare problems created by extreme growth rate selection.
Breed selection is the most fundamental welfare lever available in broiler chicken production because it determines whether welfare problems are inevitable given the genetics or manageable through husbandry. Standard commercial breeds have welfare problems including lameness, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders that are inherent consequences of their extreme growth genetics and cannot be managed away by enrichment or space alone. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds with different production economics dramatically reduces these inherent welfare problems. The consumer demand signal from major food companies committing to slower-growing breeds has created the market conditions for breed transition. Welfare certifications that specify maximum growth rate or minimum slaughter age encode this fundamental welfare requirement into market standards.