Modern fast-growing broiler breeds have been selected for maximum muscle growth at the expense of health, mobility, and welfare. Slower-growing breeds demonstrate substantially better welfare outcomes with modest productivity trade-offs.
The intensification of broiler genetics has created a welfare crisis embedded in the bird's own biology. Fast-growing breeds are selected for muscle mass to the point where cardiovascular systems, leg skeletons, and immune function are compromised. The result is that a significant proportion of birds cannot walk normally, experience chronic pain, and are at high risk of sudden death. This is not a management problem that can be solved through enrichment or better housing — it is a genetic welfare problem requiring breed change. Slower-growing breeds demonstrate that welfare and productivity can coexist, and the Better Chicken Commitment provides a market-driven pathway to transition.