Broiler chickens raised for meat represent the largest single category of land animals in agriculture. Their welfare is compromised by selective breeding for rapid growth, resulting in chronic health problems.
The welfare crisis in broiler chicken production is largely invisible to consumers but is one of the most significant by scale in all of animal agriculture. Seventy billion chickens experience impaired mobility, chronic pain, and shortened lives each year. The leg disorders that affect a quarter or more of commercial flocks are not minor inconveniences - they cause constant pain and prevent normal movement, foraging, and social behavior. Chickens with painful legs spend more time lying in ammonia-contaminated litter, causing hock burns and breast blisters. This suffering is the direct result of breeding choices that prioritize growth rate over animal welfare. Slower-growing breeds eliminate most of these welfare problems.