Modern broiler chickens grow so fast that they suffer from skeletal disorders, cardiac failure, and skin lesions at epidemic rates, with breed selection being the primary determinant of welfare outcome.
The welfare of broiler chickens is primarily determined by genetics. Fast-growing breeds that reach slaughter weight in 6 weeks have bodies that grow faster than their skeletons, hearts, and lungs can support. This is not poor farm management - it is the biological consequence of selective breeding for rapid growth. Slower-growing breeds raised under comparable conditions show dramatically lower rates of lameness, cardiac disease, and skin lesions. The transition to slower-growing breeds, as required by the Better Chicken Commitment, represents the most impactful single intervention available in commercial poultry welfare.