Improving Broiler Chicken Welfare: Why Slower‑Growing Breeds and Higher‑Welfare Systems Matter

Globally, more than 75 billion meat chickens (referred to as broilers) are slaughtered for meat each year. The USA is the highest producer of chickens, accounting for over 20% of global production, followed by the China and Brazil.

More than 70% of broilers are raised in intensive farming systems where they are reared in overcrowded, dimly lit sheds that are barren except for water and food points, with no natural light.

Broilers have increasingly been bred for very fast growth, higher meat yield and feed efficiency which seriously affect their ability to walk and express natural behaviours, and can cause serious heart conditions and meat quality issues.

Fast-growing breeds are up to three times more likely to suffer from lameness and poorer physical conditions than slower-growing breeds. They spend most of their time inactive, unable to perform natural behaviours, such as perching, pecking and dustbathing, and have a more flat and stressed behaviour profile compared to slower-growing breeds which tend to be more happy and active. Moving away from fast growth rate breeds can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of chickens.

Antibiotics are routinely used to help chickens survive poor welfare conditions on factory farms, making them less effective for humans – a dangerous scenario for modern healthcare. impacting the efficacy of antibiotics in humans. Higher welfare systems and the use of slower growing breeds reduce the need for antibiotic use in animal farming.

Creating positive change through the Better Chicken Commitment

Compassion is working as part of an NGO coalition in Europe and in the US calling on companies to sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment to make significant improvements in the rearing and slaughter of broiler chickens.

By signing up, companies commit to giving chickens more room to move, access to natural light, and meaningful enrichment. They also agree to adopt slower‑growing breeds with proven welfare outcomes, ensure humane slaughter methods that avoid live inversion, and undergo independent third‑party auditing.

To date over 640 food companies have signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment. Over 1 billion broiler chickens are set to positively benefit from these corporate pledges.

Visit the Better Chicken webpage to find out more.