Transitioning to slower-growing broiler breeds dramatically improves welfare by reducing lameness, cardiovascular disease, and distress in commercial chicken production.
The welfare crisis in conventional broiler production stems primarily from extreme selection for rapid growth that outpaced skeletal and cardiovascular development. Birds unable to walk normally or experiencing cardiac failure represent systemic welfare failure at the breed level. Slower-growing breeds have fundamentally better welfare outcomes because their physiology is not pushed beyond functional limits. The European Chicken Commitment, signed by major food companies, drives transition to welfare-improved breeds. Consumer and retailer demand is the primary lever for accelerating this transition.