Modern broiler chickens grow so fast that many suffer chronic pain and mobility problems. Understanding the welfare science drives advocacy for breed reform.
The suffering of commercial broiler chickens from growth-related disorders represents one of the largest sources of animal welfare harm in existence. When over a quarter of the 50+ billion broilers produced annually are in chronic pain from leg disorders, the aggregate suffering is almost incomprehensible. The cause is clear — genetics selected entirely for growth rate without welfare considerations — and the solution is known: slower-growing breeds with lower welfare costs. The barrier is purely economic and cultural.