Impact of the better chicken commitment and the adoption of slower-growing breeds on the welfare of broiler chickens

Abstract

Adoption of the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) and slower-growing broiler strains strongly benefits the welfare of broiler chickens. Slowing broiler growth reduces the incidence of several serious welfare concerns and delays their onset, abbreviating the time in pain. Using breeds reaching slaughter weight of approximately 2.5 Kg in 56 days prevents at least 33 hours of Disabling pain, 79 hours of Hurtful pain, and 25 seconds of Excruciating pain per bird relative to fast-growing strains, despite their longer lifespan. The slower the growth rate, the shorter the cumulative pain over a lifetime, and fewer broilers are needed to produce the same amount of meat. Lameness is the most serious welfare concern for the average broiler chicken, and heat stress has a more substantial welfare impact than cardiopulmonary challenges. Although improving management practices is beneficial, their impact is limited unless genetics changes happen. – AI-generated abstract.