Farm

Farmed Animal Genetic Diversity and Welfare

The concentration of farmed animal genetics in a small number of high-performing breeds reduces resilience and creates welfare problems associated with extreme productive traits.

Key Facts

The majority of global commercial chicken production uses three or four genetic lines
Ross 308 and Cobb 500 broiler chickens dominate global production with known welfare problems
Loss of traditional breeds reduces adaptive capacity and genetic resilience
Gene bank conservation of rare breeds preserves options for welfare-positive future breeding

Welfare Considerations

Selective breeding for extreme production traits has created chickens with cardiovascular, skeletal, and metabolic welfare problems. Maintaining genetic diversity preserves options for welfare-positive breed development and production system adaptation.

What You Can Do

Support rare breed conservation organisations and gene banks
Advocate for slower-growing chicken breeds in corporate welfare commitments
Engage with discussions about the welfare consequences of breed concentration