The paradox of slow-growing broilers

Progress in broiler genetics, improvements in management skills and knowledge of feed and feed additives have given the poultry meat industry the necessary tools to produce meat very efficiently. However, this progress comes at a price. Only a few decades ago it took 51 days for a broiler to reach its target weight of about 2.2 kilos. Nowadays that can easily be reached within 40 days and it is expected that, by the year 2020, it will take only 32 days. That is the efficiency needed to meet the