Broiler breeders — the parent birds who produce broiler chickens — face unique and severe welfare problems caused by chronic food restriction to prevent the health consequences of their growth genetics.
Broiler breeders experience what researchers describe as a state of perpetual, unsatisfied hunger. These animals have genetic drives to eat as much as possible but are systematically starved to prevent the health consequences of their own genetics. This creates a welfare paradox: the only way to keep these birds alive is to keep them chronically hungry. The scale of this problem is enormous — every broiler chicken produced has parents who spent most of their lives in a state of chronic hunger. This welfare cost is entirely invisible to consumers and rarely discussed even within animal welfare circles.