Broiler chickens raised for meat face severe welfare challenges stemming from selective breeding for extreme rapid growth that causes chronic pain and organ failure.
The welfare crisis in broiler chicken production is one of the most significant in animal agriculture by sheer scale - over 50 billion broiler chickens are raised globally each year. The birds' accelerated growth rates produce bodies that are biologically unsustainable: their chest muscles grow so rapidly that their legs, hearts, and lungs cannot support them. Lame birds cannot move to reach food or water and suffer from chronic pain. Birds that die from heart failure experience acute cardiovascular distress. The suffering is systemic rather than exceptional - it is built into the genetics of the production system. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds resolves the majority of these welfare problems and is increasingly demanded by major retailers and food service companies.