Broiler Chicken Welfare: Slow-Growth Breeds and Better Lives

The switch to slower-growing broiler breeds is one of the most impactful welfare improvements available in commercial chicken production.

Key Facts

Standard commercial broilers reach slaughter weight (2.5 kg) in 33-35 days — double the growth rate of 1950s birds
Fast-growing broilers suffer from leg weakness, heart failure, ascites, and joint disease at high rates
Approximately 5-10% of fast-growing broilers die from production-related health problems before slaughter
Slower-growing breeds reaching the same weight in 56+ days show dramatically lower rates of leg and cardiovascular disease
The Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) calls for slower-growing breeds, enriched housing, and better slaughter standards
Major food companies including McDonald's, Subway, and Whole Foods have signed the BCC in various markets

Welfare Considerations

Fast-growing broiler chickens live their entire short lives in chronic musculoskeletal discomfort. Leg weakness so severe that many birds cannot walk properly is the norm, not the exception. Heart failure and ascites (fluid accumulation from cardiovascular strain) kill millions before slaughter. The underlying cause is the genetic selection that has made modern broilers grow three times faster than their ancestors — bodies that outpace the capacity of their skeletal and cardiovascular systems to support them. Slower-growing breeds are not a minor welfare tweak but a fundamental redesign of what a commercial chicken is. Corporate commitments to the Better Chicken Commitment represent the most significant leverage point for changing this at scale.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken from farms using certified slower-growing breeds and higher welfare standards
Ask your favorite restaurants and food companies whether they have signed the Better Chicken Commitment
Support organizations advocating for mandatory welfare standards in commercial broiler production
Reduce chicken consumption or shift to plant-based alternatives — broiler welfare is one of the largest animal welfare issues by scale