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

Abstract

Commercial broiler production represents some of the most serious animal welfare issues in the livestock industry. Over the last years, campaigns to improve the way broiler chickens are produced, including the use of slower-growing broiler strains, have been gathering pace in many countries. Currently, one of the leading standards for broiler welfare driving the food industry towards higher welfare practices is the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), a set of recommendations that address housing, stocking density, growth rate and stunning methods.

In this project, we used the Cumulative Pain Framework to investigate how the adoption of the BCC and similar welfare certification programs affect the welfare of broilers. Specifically, we examine concerns that the use of slower-growing breeds may increase suffering by extending the life of chickens for the production of the same amount of meat.