Parent broiler chickens (breeders) face a painful welfare dilemma - they carry genetics for rapid growth but must be kept lean for reproductive success, requiring severe feed restriction.
Broiler breeder welfare represents one of the clearest examples of welfare problems that are genetically engineered into an animal. The genetics selected for fast growth in broiler offspring create animals whose natural hunger drive, if unrestrained, would cause fatal obesity in breeding birds. The solution - chronic severe feed restriction - causes persistent, severe hunger that welfare scientists rank alongside the worst pain conditions in terms of welfare impact. The problem is systemic and requires genetic solutions (selecting for moderate appetite in breeding lines) alongside short-term management improvements (higher volume but lower energy feed, environmental enrichment to redirect feeding behaviour).