Chickens raised for meat have been bred to grow at an unnaturally fast rate to maximise productivity, and thus profitability. The ruthless pursuit of profits sees living, thinking, feeling animals treated as ‘production units’, with devastating impacts on their quality of life.
A major study conducted in 2020 revealed the immense suffering endured by chickens genetically bred to grow rapidly – identifying major animal welfare issues including reduced mobility, foot lesions, muscle damage and cardiovascular issues.
The Welfare Footprint Project revealed the alarming extent of suffering of chickens raised for meat. Their report revealed that rapid-growing chickens endure “disabling pain” – described as being so intense that “enjoyment or positive welfare is impossible. The pain is constantly distressing” at three times the rate of slower-growing chickens.
The most extreme pain category – “excruciating pain” – is five times more prevalent in fast-grown chickens. The intensity of this pain is described as being “intolerable, even for a few seconds.“
And yet, rapid growth is not only legal in Australia – it’s industry standard.
The unnaturally fast growth rate coupled with poor living conditions means that an astonishing 4% of chickens raised for meat won’t even survive long enough to be slaughtered. That’s around 26 million chickens who are dying every year in Australia as a direct result of the way they are raised. Their deaths are not unexpected, they are simply built into the ‘business model.’