Farm Animal Welfare

Broiler Rapid Growth Metabolic Welfare

Modern broiler breeds grow so rapidly that metabolic and orthopaedic diseases are endemic, representing a systemic welfare failure built into the genetics of commercial chicken production.

Key Facts

Commercial broilers reach slaughter weight in 35 days; in 1950 this took 84 days
Rapid growth causes ascites, sudden death syndrome, and skeletal deformities in significant proportions
Approximately 30% of commercial broilers show clinically significant lameness
The Better Chicken Commitment proposes maximum 6.3kg/m2 density and slower-growing breeds
Slower-growing breeds such as LABEL ROUGE show dramatically lower metabolic disease rates

Welfare Considerations

The metabolic welfare problems of modern broilers are systemic and genetic, not fixable through management alone; genuine improvement requires breed change or growth rate restriction.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken products from slower-growing breed producers
Support supermarket and restaurant commitments to the Better Chicken Commitment
Advocate for breed welfare standards in broiler certification