Modern broiler genetics prioritize rapid growth above all else, causing serious welfare problems. Slower-growing breeds offer a welfare-positive alternative with growing consumer and retailer support.
The genetics of modern commercial broilers are a profound welfare problem built into the foundation of the industry. Selecting relentlessly for growth rate has produced birds whose bodies grow faster than their cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems can support. Leg disorders that prevent normal movement, heart failure syndromes, and respiratory problems are not incidents but structural features of fast-growing genetics. Slower-growing breeds demonstrate that it is possible to produce chicken with far fewer systemic welfare problems. The welfare cost of fast-growing genetics affects billions of birds annually, making genetic reform one of the highest-impact welfare interventions possible.