REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the impact of genetic selection on the welfare of chickens kept for meat production
Date: 2016-04-07
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: European Food Safety Authority, animal breeding, animal welfare, biodiversity, genetics, intra-EU trade, meat product, poultry, poultry farming, veterinary legislation

EUROPEAN 
COMMISSION 

Brussels, 7.4.2016  
COM(2016) 182 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

on the impact of genetic selection on the welfare of chickens kept for meat production 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
  
 
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
TO THE COUNCIL 

on the impact of genetic selection on the welfare of chickens kept for meat production 

1.  BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 3 

2. 

THE CHICKEN MEAT SECTOR ........................................................................................................... 4 

2.1. Production, trade and consumption in the EU............................................................................. 4 

2.2. Breeding selection ........................................................................................................................ 4 

3.  GENETIC SELECTION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE WELFARE OF BROILERS ......................................... 6 

3.1. Genetic selection: heritability and selection pressure ................................................................. 6 

3.2. Animal welfare impact ................................................................................................................. 7 

3.3. Animal welfare and selection goals.............................................................................................. 8 

4. 

THE CURRENT SITUATION ............................................................................................................... 9 

4.1. Available data on selection programmes ..................................................................................... 9 

4.2. Genetic diversity........................................................................................................................... 9 

5.  CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................................... 10 

ANNEX I: EU CHICKEN MEAT PRODUCTION 2010-2014 (1000 tonnes) ........................................ 11 

ANNEX II: EU-27 NUMBER OF BROILERS FARMS IN 2010 ............................................................. 12 

ANNEX III: CROSSBREEDING PYRAMIDAL STRUCTURE FOR COMMERCIAL BROILERS .................. 13 

ANNEX IV: TRAITS IN CURRENT BOILER SELECTION PROGRAMMES............................................. 14 

2 

 
 
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
AND TO THE COUNCIL 

on the impact of genetic selection on the welfare of chickens kept for meat 
production 

1.  BACKGROUND 

Article 6(1) of Directive (EC) 2007/43/EC1 laying down minimum rules for the protection of 
chickens kept for meat production states that: 

"Based on a scientific opinion of the European Food safety Authority, the Commission shall 
no  later  than  31  December  2010  submit  to  the  European  Parliament  and  to  the  Council  a 
report concerning the influence of genetic parameters on identified deficiencies resulting in 
poor  welfare  of  chickens.  That  report  may  be  accompanied  by  appropriate  legislative 
proposals, if necessary." 

This report is the Commission's response to this obligation. 

To  prepare  this  report,  in  2010  the  Commission  requested  a  scientific  opinion  from  the 
European  Food  Safety  Authority  (EFSA)2  which  was  updated  in  20123  and  mandated  an 
economic study4, completed in 2013. 

The present report only addresses chicken within the scope of Directive 2007/43/EC5. 

The unexpected additional time needed to obtain comprehensive scientific and economic data 
explains the delay in adopting this report.  

1  OJ L 182, 12.7.2007, p. 19. 
2  EFSA  Panel  on  Animal  Health  and  Welfare  (AHAW):  Scientific  Opinion  on  the  influence  of  genetic 
parameters on the welfare and the resistance to stress of commercial broilers. EFSA Journal 2010; 8 (7):1666. 
[82 pp.]. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1666. Available online: www.efsa.europa.eu  

3  de Jong I, Berg C., Butterworth A., Estevéz I.; Scientific report updating the EFSA opinions on the welfare of 
online: 

2012:EN-295.  Available 

Publications 

Supporting 

breeders. 

and 

broilers 
www.efsa.europa.eu/publications 

broiler 

4  Study  of  the  impact  of  genetic  selection  on  the  welfare  of  chickens  bred  and  kept  for  meat  production 
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/docs/aw_practice_farm_broilers_653020_final-

2013): 

(January 
report_en.pdf 

5  See Article 1(1)(b) and the first subparagraph of Article 1(2) of Directive 2007/43/EC. 

3 

 
 
                                                            
2.  THE CHICKEN MEAT SECTOR 

2.1. Production, trade and consumption in the EU 

In  2014,  EU  chicken  meat  production  (chickens  for  meat  production  are  also  called 
"broilers")  reached  10.5  million  tonnes,  representing  about  6.5  billion  birds6  and  around 
12% of world production7. 

Three quarters of EU production is concentrated in seven Member States: Poland, France, 
United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands (see Annex I). 

In  2010  there  were  more  than  2.2  million  broiler  farms  in  the  EU-27.  However,  there 
were only 20.000 farms with more than 5.000 broilers (see Annex II). 

In 2014, the self-sufficiency rate8 in the EU was 103.9%. Intra-EU trade is mainly based 
on fresh chicken meat. The Netherlands dominates intra-EU trade in chicken meat (around 
30%  of  total  intra-EU  cross-border  movements)  followed  by  France,  Germany  and 
Poland.  

In  the  EU,  the  main  buyers  of  chicken  meat  are  the  Netherlands,  United  Kingdom, 
Germany  and  France.  These  four  countries  also  account  for  62%  of  all  chicken  meat 
imports in the EU, mainly frozen natural breast meat from Brazil or frozen cooked breast 
meat from Thailand. 

With  an  average  consumption  of  26.8  kg  per  capita  per  year  in  2014,  chicken  meat 
constitutes  the  second  largest  consumed  meat  in  the  EU  (around  30%  of  total  meat 
consumption, after pig meat9). The consumption of chicken continues to grow in almost 
all Member States. 

2.2. Breeding selection   

The chicken meat production system is highly sophisticated and starts before the chicken 
is  born.  Chickens  for  meat  production  are  the  result  of  complex  genetic  combinations, 
which are performed several generations upstream. 

Genetic selection identifies the most appropriate birds to become the parents of the 
next generation. It determines the traits for which a specific line is selected in order to 
meet the market demands.  

The production of broilers is the result of a crossing bred in four steps (see Annex III). 
The  starting  point  in  this  pyramidal  production  process  is  the  genetic  selection  of  a 
number of pure lines (also called pedigree) by the breeding company. Birds of selected 
purebred lines are interbred and kept at high biosecurity levels on a specific pathogen-free 

6  Source: Eurostat. 
7  http://www.avec-poultry.eu/system/files/archive/new-

structure/avec/Communication/Study%20final%20version.pdf 

8  The self-sufficiency rate expresses the magnitude of EU production in relation to domestic use (self-

sufficiency rate = production/( production + imports - exports). 

9  http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/external-studies/2013/origin-labelling/fulltext_en.pdf 

4 

 
 
                                                            
status  and  geographically  spread  to  avoid  contamination  that  could  lead  to  significant 
economic and genetic losses.  

Pure  line  birds  that  will  contribute  to  the  next  generation  are  allocated  into  the 
multiplication  process  after  their  selection.  This  process  includes  three  steps:  first  at 
great-grandparents  level,  second  at  grandparent  level  and  third  at  parent  stock  level  to 
produce day-old chicks that will become commercial broilers.  

To date, a few companies dominate the worldwide market for broiler breeding stock. 
These companies have not disclosed details to the Commission on breeding sites or birds 
mainly because they consider this information commercially sensitive. 

2.3. Models of chicken production in the EU 

The  EU  chicken  industry  mainly  operates  within  two  organizational  models,  vertical 
integrated production and independent links of the production chain. 

Through the vertical integrated model, several or all links within production (breeding, 
hatchery, housing, feed mill and processing plant) are controlled by the integrating firm. 
The  integrator  provides  the  day-old  chicks,  feed  and  sometimes  housing  and  owns  the 
birds at any time. The farmers are paid a set rate for their labour and variable costs. This 
system is used in the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Spain.  

Within the second model of independent links, each link works through an open market, 
assuming  its  own  risks.  The  farmer  is  the  owner  of  the  birds  and  is  more  directly 
confronted with the fluctuations in price for feed and the demand for poultry meat. This 
system is used in the Netherlands and Belgium while in Germany both models exist.  

Most of the genetic selection is oriented to meet the need for fast growing birds which is 
the predominant system of production in the EU. 

For this purpose the EU chicken meat sector uses fast growing broilers. These broilers 
achieve the target live weight of 2-2.5 kg in around 35-45 days. However, variations exist 
depending  on  the  country,  region  or  market  segment  which  has  to  be  supplied.  The 
general  trend  in  Europe  is  to  keep  broilers  selected  for  rapid-growth  in  closed  and 
controlled housing systems, with litter and automated supply of feed and water.  

However, part of the production, and therefore the genetic selection is also designed for 
slow growing birds. 

Slow-growing broilers (from 70 to 81 days) are gaining interest in many EU countries in 
the  last  years.  These  broilers  are  used  in  free-range  and  organic  production,  with  low 
densities  and  permanent  access  to  an  outdoor  area.  However,  industry  experts  consider 
that slow growing chickens will remain a niche market.  Additionally, there is a certified 
broiler production, which includes slow-growing broilers kept indoors until they are 56 
day-old,  as  an  intermediate  production  between  regular  broilers  and  organic  production. 

5 

 
 
No statistics  are  available on the exact numbers of alternative broilers (slow-growing or 
certified  broilers)  in  the  EU;  however  industry  experts  estimate  a  market  share  to  be 
between 5 to 10% of the total production10. 

3.  GENETIC SELECTION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE 

WELFARE OF BROILERS  

Genetic  selection  of  broilers  has  changed  considerably  over  the  past  50  years.  In  particular, 
the  growth  rate  of  commercial  broilers  has  greatly  increased,  with  standard  broilers  now 
reaching 1.5 kg body weight in less than 30 days whereas 120 days were needed in the 1950s. 
Initially,  selection  was  aimed  at  greater  growth  rates  and  meat  yields.  However,  in  order  to 
avoid  undesirable  consequences  of  one-sided  production  selection,  in  the  recent  years  there 
has also been selection against susceptibility to certain types of disease and welfare traits.   

Most of the welfare problems in broilers are the result of multiple factors, like environmental 
factors, management factors and genetic factors. However, scientific opinions recognize that 
some  welfare  problems  are  essentially  related  to  genetic  factors  and  others  are  mainly 
related to environmental/management factors such as stocking density and litter quality, light 
and barren environment.  

3.1. Genetic selection: heritability and selection pressure 

Breeding  programmes  are  organised  to  supply  commercial  flocks  with  day-old  broiler 
chicks  in  a  multiplication  pyramid  (see  section  2.2.).  The  breeding  pyramid  facilitates 
crossbreeding  between  genetically  distinct  lines  to  select  defined  traits  included  in  the 
genetic  programme.  The  response  to  one  generation  of  selection  depends  on  the 
heritability11 of the trait and the selection pressure applied (the proportion of birds with 
a defined trait used as parents of the next generation). In addition the progress made  by 
genetic  selection  in  pedigree  flocks  does  not  guarantee  that  a  similar  change  will  be 
observed  in  commercial  broilers  since  the  environments  in  which  broilers  are  kept 
commercially are not the same as that in breeder's flocks12. 

There are significant difficulties in obtaining data on the heritability of the trait selected, 
because on the one hand several hundred birds are needed for obtaining reliable data and 
on the other hand the time required for a genetic change to appear in commercial flocks is 
never less than 4 years (see Annex III). 

When selection applies to several traits at the same time, response to selection per trait is 
less  than  if  this  trait  was  the  only  one  selected  for,  therefore  reducing  the  selection 
pressure.  For  example,  assuming  that  selection  programme  A  includes  growth  rate  and 

10  http://www.avec-poultry.eu/system/files/archive/new-

structure/avec/Communication/Study%20final%20version.pdf 

11  Heritability  reflects  the  proportion  of  differences  among  individuals  that  is  due  to  genetics.  Heritability 
analyses  the  relative  contributions  of  differences  in  genetic  and  non-genetic  factors  to  the  total  observable 
variance  in  a  population.  For  instance,  some  humans  in  a  population  are  taller  than  others;  heritability 
attempts to identify how much genetics play a role in part of the population being taller. 

12  Study  of  the  impact  of  genetic  selection  on  the  welfare  of  chickens  bred  and  kept  for  meat  production 
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/docs/aw_practice_farm_broilers_653020_final-

2013): 

(January 
report_en.pdf 

6 

 
 
                                                            
disease  resistance  and  selection  programme  B  includes  only  growth  rate,  response  to 
selection for growth rate in programme A will be slower that in programme B. 

In the past, production traits were the sole criteria in breeding and selection programmes. 
Since  the  cost  of  feed  is  the  major  factor  affecting  the  economics  of  chicken  meat 
production, feed conversion efficiency13 has been the main selection criteria. Over the 
past years, however, this has been changing with emphasis being increasingly placed on 
non-production  traits,  such  as  bone  quality,  cardiovascular  efficiency  and  resistance  to 
ascites (see Annex IV). 

The  way  these  traits  are  included  in  genetic  selection  programmes  constitutes 
commercially  sensitive  information  and  is  not  divulged  by  breeding  companies. 
Therefore  the  precise  selection  pressure  on  production  and  non-production  traits  is  not 
known.  

3.2. Animal welfare impact 

In the last decades, a wide range of metabolic and behavioural traits in broilers have been 
modified by genetic selection, leading to various welfare issues, as described below: 

(cid:131)  Legs and locomotion 

Leg  problems  affecting  the  locomotion  system,  such  as  bone  deformities  and 
lameness,  are  a  major  cause  of  poor  welfare  in  broilers  and  can  have  a  genetic 
component. EFSA has pointed out that around 30% of commercial intensively reared 
broilers  presented  leg  abnormalities.  These  biomechanical  limitations  are  a  likely 
consequence of the morphological changes such as the rapid growth of breast muscle 
moving  the  centre  of  gravity  forwards  and  the  relatively  short  legs  in  relation  to  the 
birds' bodyweight.  

That scientific opinion evidenced how the bones of a fast-growing selected strain are 
more  porous  and  less  mineralised  than  those  of  a  slower-growing  control  strain. 
Furthermore,  studies  showed  that  slow-growing  broilers  reared  until  56  days  had 
significantly better walking ability than others reared until 42 days of age.  

Birds suffering from severe gait abnormalities have difficulties in moving around and 
are likely to modify their feeding activities, i.e. increasing their time spent lying down 
due to pain from moving and as a result suffer from higher levels of contact dermatitis 
(see below).  

(cid:131)  Ascites and sudden death syndrome (SDS) 

Ascites  is  the  accumulation  of  fluid  in  the  abdominal  cavity  and  is  a  metabolic 
disorder  resulting  of  dilatation  and  hypertrophy  of  the  heart  which  leads  to  cardiac 
failure and changes in liver function. SDS is the most frequent cause of death in flocks 
of broilers affecting mainly fast growing male birds14. It is generally assumed that the 
main cause of both is insufficient oxygen supply or a demand for oxygen that is too 
high.  Additional  factors  such  as  nutrition,  air  quality  or  light  conditions  can  also 
influence the incidence of ascites and SDS. 

13  Feed Conversion Rate: amount of feed consumed to increase body weight by one kg. 
14  Maxwell and Robertson (1997;1998) concluded that 4.7 % of broilers on a world basis were affected 

7 

 
 
                                                            
Several studies quoted by EFSA showed that susceptibility to ascites had a hereditary 
background. Fast growth rates achieved by genetic selection increase the risk of these 
two diseases by increased oxygen demand that puts pressure on the cardio-pulmonary 
system. Several studies concluded that there is a higher percentage of mortality caused 
by ascites in fast growing broilers (slaughtered at 42 days of age) than in slow growing 
broilers (slaughtered at 56 days of age).  

(cid:131)  Contact dermatitis 

Skin  diseases  such  as  contact  dermatitis  (erosions  of  the  breast,  hock  and  feet  can 
develop  into  ulcerations  and  become  infected)  are  mainly  related  to  management 
practices, since wet litter along with feed composition (to a lesser extent) seemed to be 
the  most  important  factors  in  preventing  its  occurrence15.  However,  several  studies 
have shown that contact dermatitis has a moderate degree of heritability and therefore 
genetic selection could reduce this major welfare problem. 

3.3. Animal welfare and selection goals 

From  a  genetic  standpoint,  the  desirable  outcome  of  selection  will  be  a  bird  that 
effectively combines production, reproduction, health and welfare traits. The estimation of 
genetic  correlations  between  production  and  welfare  traits  used  as  selection  criteria  in 
animal  breeding  programmes  would  help  to  anticipate  how  a  direct  selection  would 
influence other traits. 

There might be low or high correlation between some health and welfare traits on one side 
and  production  traits  on  the  other.  When  the  correlation  is  high  between  two  traits,  it 
means  that  genetic  selection  cannot  be  made  separately.  Where  production  traits  have  a 
high  negative  correlation  with  health  and  welfare  traits,  it  means  that  improvement  in  a 
production  trait  (e.g.  growth  rate)  will  compromise  the  other  ones  (e.g.  ascites).  This 
presents  a  challenge  that  can  be  dealt  with  in  a  balanced  breeding  programme  using 
appropriate selection indices. 

Ideally, breeding programmes should combine traits into a selection index that takes into 
account the impact on various traits of the birds. 

Regarding the main welfare impacts described above, scientific studies quoted by EFSA 
have shown that: 

•  The  genetic  correlations  between  traits  such  as  specific  skeletal  problems  and 
growth should permit a genetic improvement in leg health along with a continued, 
though more modest, improvement in growth rate.   

• 

It  is  possible  to  develop  a  resistant  line  to  ascites  since  it  appears  that  there  are 
only  a  few  genes  responsible  for  ascites  susceptibility  and  they  have  a  high 
heritability. Sudden Death Syndrome has a correlation with ascites.   

•  There is a low genetic correlation between contact dermatitis (food pad and hock 
burn) with body weight suggesting that selection against susceptibility to footpad 
dermatitis should be possible without adverse effect on weight. 

15  Prevalence of contact dermatitis is varied and the results differed according to age of the birds at the time of 

assessment. 

8 

 
 
                                                            
Against this background positive signals of a better integration of welfare issues into the 
selection  process  of  breeding  programmes  can  already  be  found.  For  instance  recent 
surveys  in  commercial  flocks  report  a  decrease  in  the  incidence  of  leg  problems  and 
ascites during the last 10 years. According to the industry data these results are due to the 
fact that they integrate health and welfare traits in their selection schemes. 

4.  THE CURRENT SITUATION  

4.1. Available data on selection programmes  

New technologies based on genetic markers can assist in the genetic selection to identify 
birds  that  carry  desirable  genes.  The  genetic  selection  in  breeding  programmes  has 
contributed to ensuring a competitive broiler production in the EU, however, the level of 
genetic improvements or of individual traits cannot be quantified in this report due to the 
lack of access to confidential breeder data.  

In  addition,  these  selection  processes  are  essentially  based  on  flocks  controlled  by 
breeding  companies.  Only  few  breeding  companies  supply  broiler  breeders  and  broiler 
chickens in the world16. Producers have limited access to  detailed information about the 
selection criteria in the breeding programme.  

Furthermore,  in  general,  market  pressure  does  not  currently  provide  breeding 
companies  with  sufficient  incentive  to  give  welfare  traits  greater  weighting  in  their 
breeding programmes. 

Competition in the chicken meat market has been mainly focused on reducing prices. Feed 
represents  around  65  %  of  production  costs  so  genetic  selection  has  mainly  focused  on 
fast-growing rates to reduce costs. Lower feed conversion efficiency of broiler selected for 
welfare traits increases production costs.  

4.2. Genetic diversity   

Selection programmes are a useful tool for the improvement of certain production traits in 
commercial lines. However, they have also led to a loss of genetic diversity leading to the 
possible involuntary elimination of genetic traits that might be useful in the future if the 
conditions  of  production  change  (resistance  to  new  diseases,  new  climatic  conditions, 
etc.). 

This  is  the  reason  why  the  EU  Community  programme  on  the  conservation, 
characterization,  collection  and  utilization  of  genetic  resources  in  agriculture  promotes 
genetic diversity. In this context, the Commission funded the project Globaldiv17 with the 
main  objective  of  gathering  international  experts  from  different  fields  related  to  the 
characterization  of  farm  animal  genetic  resources  to  review  the  main  drivers  of 
biodiversity loss and strategies for conservation.  

16  Approximately  60-70  %  of  the  broiler  breeding  is  conducted  by  European  companies  and  the  demand  for 

their products is increasing in particular from developing countries (China, Brazil, India). 
17  http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/genetic-resources/actions/f-067/067-executive-summary_en.pdf 

9 

 
 
 
                                                            
5.  CONCLUSIONS 

Breeders  progressively  take  into  account  traits  related  to  chicken  health  and  welfare  in 
their selection programmes.  

The  current  legislation  provides  a  monitoring  system  for  animal  welfare  indicators18  in 
commercial conditions which could be further exploited in a context of genetic selection.  

The consumers express increasingly interest for broilers selected for welfare traits which 
are produced under increased costs. 

The presence of animal welfare information at different levels and tailored specifically for 
each  type  of  audience  (school,  media…)  could  help  to  increase  the  demand  for  animal 
welfare friendly products.  

No  legislative  proposal  is  deemed  necessary  at  this  stage.  In  line  with  its  mandate  on 
animal  welfare  and  through  the  existing  tools,  the  European  Commission  is  willing  to 
facilitate improvements in this area.   

18  See Article 6 (2) of Council Directive 2007/43/EC. 

10 

 
 
                                                            
ANNEX I: EU CHICKEN MEAT PRODUCTION 2010-2014 (1000 tonnes) 

Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Czech Republic 
Denmark 
Germany  
Estonia 
Ireland 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Croatia 
Italy 
Cyprus 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Luxembourg 
Hungary 
Malta 
Netherlands 
Austria 
Poland 
Portugal 
Romania 
Slovenia 
Slovakia 
Finland 
Sweden 
United Kingdom 
EU 

2010 
497.117 
72.763 
182.723 
184 
802.781 
11.244 
108.554 
175.898 
1,115.86
1,037.00

864.969 
27.473 
23.394 
63.994 
0 
208.275 
4.398 
781.454 
96.562 
1,000.29
248.848 
298.386 
54.626 
71.315 
86.544 
111.993 
1,379.37
9,509.83

2011 
487.05 
73.428 
166.636 
185.7 
853.525 
11.244 
108.554 
173.05 
1,111.91
1,060.00
48.5 
894.744 
27.22 
22.807 
67.943 
0 
219.828 
4.155 
840.922 
95.063 
1,046.25
245.633 
298.386 
52.903 
71.315 
92.493 
111.528 
1,357.00
9,727.78

2012 
401.747 
74.482 
148.986 
153.9 
864 
11.244 
108.554 
179.999 
1,128.37
1,044.00
50 
922.353 
25.148 
24.491 
73.773 
0 
240.09 
4.252 
888.521 
92.681 
1,270.70
244.311 
298.386 
53.957 
71.315 
98.183 
109.671 
1,378.97
9,962.09

2013 
379.33 
69.81 
143.85 
159.3 
911 
11.244 
108.554 
177.73 
1,133.70 
1,078.00 
48.8 
902.74 
21.83 
26.71 
82.94 
0 
235.59 
4.13 
920.8 
94.94 
1,365.61 
245.4 
301.877 
52.81 
69.739 
102.33 
117.42 
1,442.55 
10,208.73

2014 
425.01 
71.53 
143.87 
142.8 
969 
11.244 
108.554 
187.86 
1,236.83 
1,047.00 
49.8 
919.55 
21.48 
28.56 
86.69 
0 
261.26 
3.94 
956.12 
97.27 
1,477.09 
248.9 
301.877 
55.64 
69.739 
104.55 
126.12 
1,437.64 
10,589.92 

11 

 
 
  
 
 
ANNEX II: EU-27 NUMBER OF BROILERS FARMS IN 2010  

% of EU-27 total 
(> 5000 broilers) 
3.2 
0.7 
0.7 
0.9 
5.3 
0.0 
0.9 
3.2 
17.1 
29.4 
7.9 
0.2 
0.0 
0.1 
0.0 
1.3 
0.2 
3.2 
1.5 
11.8 
3.8 
1.5 
0.9 
0.3 
.05 
0.4 
5.3 
100.0 

Country 

> 1 broiler 

> 5000 broilers 

Belgium 
Bulgaria 
Czech Republic 
Denmark 
Germany 
Estonia 
Ireland 
Greece 
Spain 
France 
Italy 
Cyprus 
Latvia 
Lithuania 
Luxembourg 
Hungary 
Malta 
Netherlands 
Austria 
Poland 
Portugal 
Romania 
Slovenia 
Slovakia 
Finland 
Sweden 
United Kingdom 
EU-27 
Source: Eurostat (2010) 

930 
19470 
280 
280 
4540 
120 
550 
102280 
36570 
41710 
13200 
2570 
480 
13190 
40 
18760 
160 
640 
1190 
337540 
105010 
1532550 
2910 
470 
100 
180 
1740 
2237460 

620 
140 
130 
170 
1040 
0 
170 
630 
3360 
5780 
1550 
40 
0 
10 
See BE 
250 
40 
620 
300 
2330 
750 
300 
170 
60 
100 
80 
1040 
19680 

12 

 
 
ANNEX III: CROSSBREEDING PYRAMIDAL STRUCTURE FOR 
COMMERCIAL BROILERS 

PEDIGREE  
SELECTION

GREAT GRAND PARENTS 

GRANDPARENTS 

PARENTS

BROILERS 

Genetic change 

1 year 

2 years 

3 years 

4 years 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX IV: TRAITS IN CURRENT BOILER SELECTION PROGRAMMES 

Areas for selection 

Major trait categories (may include multiple traits) 

Health and welfare 

Immune response, skeletal integrity, heart and lung fitness, 
liveability/survival/low mortality, feathering, absence of breast 
lesions 

Reproduction 

Hatchability, egg number, fertility, age at sexual maturity 

Production  

Feed conversion, growth profile, meat quality, breast meat 
yield, weight, lower fat content 

14