Farm Animal Welfare

Chicken Welfare in Slow-Growth Breed Programs

The shift from fast-growing to slower-growing chicken breeds is one of the most impactful welfare improvements available in commercial poultry — reducing leg disorders, cardiac disease, and chronic pain.

Key Facts

Standard commercial broilers reach slaughter weight in 33-42 days with severe welfare consequences
Slower-growing breeds raised to 56+ days have dramatically lower lameness and mortality rates
European Chicken Commitment (ECC) signed by 200+ companies commits to slower-growing breeds
Slower-growing birds require more feed and space, increasing production costs 10-20%
The welfare benefits of breed change affect tens of billions of animals annually

Welfare Considerations

Fast-growing commercial broiler breeds are arguably the most welfare-compromised animals in the global food system. Their extreme growth rate causes skeletal deformities, cardiac failure, and chronic pain in a high proportion of birds. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds reduces these problems substantially. The scale of benefit — affecting tens of billions of chickens annually — makes this one of the highest-impact welfare interventions in food systems.

What You Can Do

Support brands and retailers that have signed the European Chicken Commitment
Ask your favorite food companies whether they have signed breed commitments
Choose chicken from welfare-certified producers using slower-growing breeds
Follow and support Better Chicken Commitment campaigns in your country
Reduce chicken consumption until welfare standards improve at scale