Broiler breeder birds - the parents of commercial broiler chickens - suffer severe chronic hunger due to feed restriction programs. This neglected welfare problem affects hundreds of millions of birds worldwide.
Broiler breeder welfare is perhaps the most extreme example of a welfare problem created by selection for production traits. The birds that produce broiler chickens experience chronic hunger throughout their productive lives - not because of management failure, but because of genetic incompatibility between rapid growth selection and normal feed regulation. They are quite literally bred to want to eat more than is safe for them to consume. This represents a structural welfare problem that cannot be resolved through better management alone: it requires selection away from the extreme growth genetics that cause it. Some higher-welfare broiler programs use slower-growing breeds that have less severe breeder welfare problems. Supporting these programs is one of the few consumer-accessible levers for this otherwise invisible welfare issue.