Modern broiler chickens are bred for extreme growth rates that cause metabolic disorders, cardiovascular problems and lameness, creating what welfare scientists call an intrinsic welfare crisis.
The welfare cost of extreme growth is paid by every individual bird in the flock - this is a systemic, breed-level problem rather than a farm management failure. Birds experience chronic pain from skeletal problems, cannot express natural behaviours, and often spend significant time resting near feeders and drinkers because walking is painful. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds is the single most impactful intervention, but increases production costs by 10-20%, requiring market and policy support.