Broiler Welfare and Slow-Growing Breeds

Slow-growing broiler breeds grow more slowly than conventional strains, experiencing significantly better welfare outcomes at the cost of higher production resource use.

Key Facts

Conventional broilers reach slaughter weight in 35 to 42 days with frequent welfare problems
Slow-growing breeds take 56 or more days and show dramatically lower leg disorder and mortality rates
The Better Chicken Commitment requires slower-growing breeds or equivalent measurable welfare outcomes
Some European markets including France have established slow-growing breed requirements through certification
Slower growth is associated with better bone density, lower cardiac disease rates, and improved mobility

Welfare Considerations

Conventional broiler breeds have been selected for growth rates that their cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems cannot support without chronic welfare compromise. Rapid breast muscle growth creates pressure on the heart and lungs, contributing to ascites and sudden death syndrome. Leg abnormalities from skeletal structures unable to support rapid muscle mass increase cause chronic pain and mobility restriction. Slow-growing breeds that take 30 to 50 percent longer to reach slaughter weight show dramatically better welfare outcomes on these measures. The trade-off is real — slower growth requires more feed, water, and housing per kilogram of meat produced — but the welfare improvement is substantial enough to justify the cost premium that welfare-certified slow-growing chicken commands.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken certified to Better Chicken Commitment or equivalent slow-growing breed standards
Support retailers and food businesses that have adopted slow-growing breed commitments
Advocate for welfare-based breed standards to be mandatory rather than voluntary across all major retailers
Reduce chicken consumption overall while prioritising welfare-certified sources when you do consume it