Farmed Broiler Chicken: Mortality Rate as Welfare Indicator

Mortality rates in broiler chicken production are a key welfare indicator, with elevated deaths reflecting underlying welfare problems that conventional production routinely normalises.

Key Facts

Conventional broiler production accepts mortality rates of 3-5% as normal over a 35-42 day growing period
Higher welfare systems with slower-growing breeds typically achieve mortality rates below 2%
Mortality in broiler flocks is caused by cardiovascular failure, ascites, leg disorders, and infectious disease
Fast-growing breeds die of cardiac and respiratory failure due to the physiological demands of rapid growth
Mortality data is collected by producers but not universally mandated for public reporting
EU Broiler Directive sets maximum mortality thresholds that trigger management review

Welfare Considerations

Broiler mortality normalisation represents a profound welfare failure hiding in plain sight. Accepting that 3-5% of tens of billions of birds per year will die from the physiological consequences of selective breeding for growth is not an acceptable welfare standard - it is a number so large that the suffering it represents is difficult to comprehend. Each mortality represents an animal that died, often from cardiovascular collapse or slowly from leg failure. The stark difference in mortality rates between fast-growing and slower-growing breeds demonstrates that this mortality is not inevitable. It is a consequence of choices that can and should be changed.

What You Can Do

Support mandatory public mortality reporting in broiler production
Choose chicken from slower-growing breed schemes with demonstrably lower mortality rates
Advocate for breed welfare standards that set maximum mortality as a welfare threshold
Support the Better Chicken Commitment requiring slower-growing breeds with lower mortality
Reduce conventional broiler consumption to reduce demand for high-mortality production systems