It can be more profitable to put up with a relatively high percentage of birds dying early from health problems, compared to the cost and effort involved in preventing these problems. 

Meat chickens, often referred to as “broilers” are completely different breeds to the chickens raised for egg laying. These separate breeds were first invented in the 1950s.

How has this genetic selection over many chicken generations impacted their welfare? Read on to find out why chickens of today look so different from your grandparents' chickens.

World Animal Protection was the first organisation to begin campaigning for the Better Chicken Commitment in Australia. They’ve been tracking the progress of companies towards higher welfare standards for chickens raised for meat. We’ve highlighted the most important messages of their latest report.