Broiler Breeder Welfare and Chronic Hunger

Broiler breeder chickens — the parents of commercial meat chickens — are kept chronically hungry to prevent obesity-related health problems caused by genetics selected for maximum growth rate.

Key Facts

Broiler breeders are fed 60 to 80% of the food they would consume if given ad libitum access
Without feed restriction, broiler breeders develop cardiovascular disease, leg disorders, and reproductive failure from excessive growth
Restricted broiler breeders show stereotypic pecking, aggression, and high motivation to access food in preference tests
Research by Ian Duncan and colleagues showed broiler breeders would work harder for food than any other reward
The welfare paradox is that birds bred for maximum growth cannot maintain their own health without deliberate starvation

Welfare Considerations

Chronic hunger in broiler breeders represents one of the most difficult welfare problems in animal agriculture because it is caused by the genetics of the birds themselves. The same selection that makes broiler offspring fast-growing creates parents who will overeat to pathological obesity if given free access to feed. Feed restriction eliminates the health consequence but creates a different welfare problem: chronic hunger drives sustained food-seeking motivation that cannot be satisfied. This welfare cost affects every parent flock that produces commercial chicken anywhere in the world.

What You Can Do

Support research into alternative broiler genetics that do not require parental feed restriction
Advocate for inclusion of broiler breeder welfare in poultry welfare certification standards
Choose chicken from producers committed to reforming the entire broiler production system
Engage with the Better Chicken Commitment on broiler breeder welfare as part of systemic reform