We're studying higher-welfare chickens.
As part of our efforts to further improve animal welfare, we're studying alternative chicken breeds. We want to better understand how increased activity positively impacts bird health, identify the traits that contribute to healthier chickens and make sure we're ready to meet the growing demand for higher-welfare breeds. There are a lot of breeds, and that means a lot of traits, so we've got a lot to learn.
Here are three of the breeds we’ve been watching at one of our research farms. Each breed has distinct traits so take a look around to see for yourself!
For reference, this is the modern broiler chicken. It's known for its broad breast, quick growth and ability to pack on pounds— typical traits in a bird raised for meat. But it's not very active.
These red-feathered chickens might make you think of the barnyard rooster. Like the little red rooster, this is a hardy bird that does well outdoors exploring. That's good for free-range and pastured chickens. They don’t provide as much meat as the typical broiler.
The variations in feather colors make these chickens interesting to look at, and their activity level makes them more interesting to watch. That added activity is matched to increased appetite and slower weight gain, so they eat more than the typical broiler.
This breed might make you take a second look as it’s similar to the conventional broiler. It tends to move around more though, so it’s much leaner.
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