The aim of animal breeding is to increase the profitability of animal husbandry by adapting the animals to the husbandry and production conditions. As a result, the increase of performance parameters (e.g., milk yield, laying performance, daily weight gains) is the focus of breeding efforts. This purely performance-oriented breeding causes pain and suffering in the so-called 'farm animals'. 

In a single breed, it is not possible to establish several high-yielding traits through breeding (e.g., milk yield, meat yield, or laying yield), therefore breeding has become one-sided. This resulted in different breeds and crosses, namely dairy and beef breeds in cattle or laying and broiler hybrids in chickens.

What our dairy cows have to perform every day: Milk output per cow from an average of 2,600 kg/year of milk in the 1950s has skyrocketed to an average of 7,500 kg/year or more per cow in 2021¹. And the trend is upward. 

What most do not know: Breeding for this enormously high milk yield, which demands everything from physical performance, leads to increased health problems. At the beginning of the milking period, a high-performance cow cannot consume as much feed as she needs for energy, which means that the body's own reserves are used up, making the animals very thin and unhealthy.²

In addition, male calves of dairy breeds are of no value to the industry. They are too expensive to raise and make no economic sense because of their low 'meat yield'. They are sold as quickly as possible, sometimes abroad, where a short and cruel life awaits them. Even the industry speaks of the male calves as a waste product of the dairy industry.³

The prevailing breeding objectives, such as good muscling and high daily weight gains directly cause health problems in cattle (organ damage, bone and joint problems, combination of health restrictions). Breeds like the Belgian Blue are bred for ‘double muscling’, due to a gene mutation the factor to inhibit muscle growth is switched off. Consequently, natural birthing for these animals is rarely possible and a C-section is almost always necessary.^4,5

For decades, the breeding objective has been to maximize genetic growth potential. Extreme selection for high meat amount is associated with increased susceptibility to disease, especially of the skeletal and cardiovascular systems. This results in behavioural changes in locomotion and comfort behaviour, which, since they can no longer be performed in a species-typical manner, lead to further suffering in the animal.⁶

What our chickens have to perform every day: In 1955, a hen laid about 118 eggs per year. Due to the one-sided breeding for laying performance, the number has meanwhile been increased to about 300 eggs and more per hen per year. The consequences of the genetic change in the sense of maximum performance are that the animals already suffer from osteoporosis at a young age. Further on, the chickens now lay an egg almost every day, which leads to further health problems, such as inflammation of the laying organs.

Additionally due to the high performance of laying hens, inflammation of the fallopian tubes is a commonly occurring problem.¹⁰

What many do not know: These high-performance laying hens now do not live much past 16 months – they have no economic use after the first laying period and are 'disposed of' e.g., slaughtered. For the few corporations worldwide, that breed these so-called laying hybrids used today, this is economically advantageous. In addition, male chicks are completely worthless for the egg industry, and due to the one-sided breeding for laying performance, are no longer suitable for economic fattening.^10,11

In poultry breeding, there is a general problem that the animals used in agriculture are mostly all from the large breeding groups and original 'old' breeds are now only kept and raised by hobby farmers or breed keepers.

The increasingly heavy thoracic muscle and the resulting abnormal leg positions and lameness, mean that the animals hardly move at all towards the end of their lives. Behaviour, appropriate to the species, such as perching on a branch to sleep, is no longer possible as a result. Due to the high weight gain, the animals rest more than normal, which causes damages and inflammations at the breast, the so-called breast buttons and breast blisters.^6,12,13

The high demand for turkey breast meat, which is known as particularly 'healthy', has devastating consequences for the animals behind the food. Breeding for the enormous size of the breast muscle and the rapid weight gain of the animals within a few weeks of life cause extreme stress on the animal. The juvenile skeleton cannot adequately support the enormous increase in meat, and internal organs cannot keep up with the growth. Nowadays, a turkey has reached the final slaughter weight of about 23 kg at the age of about 20 weeks. In comparison, in 1965, the weight of a turkey at the age of 22 weeks was just about 12 kg.¹⁵

Due to the many animals lying in damp bedding, inflammations of the breast and abdomen are common. What many people also do not know: Fattening turkey breeds are no longer able to reproduce naturally. The males would injure the females due to their abnormally large pectoral muscle. These animals are bred by a few corporations worldwide and must be reproduced through artificial insemination. The short life of a turkey is pure suffering.¹⁷

The demand for lean meat is constantly increasing. For pork production, this means that animals are adapted to meet the demand. Breeding for a high lean meat content, as well as the high daily weight gains, lead to disorders of the cardiovascular system and pathological joint changes in these intelligent creatures.^18,19 The juvenile skeleton cannot sufficiently support the enormous increase in meat, and the internal organs cannot keep up with the growth. Nowadays, a fattening pig reaches its slaughter weight of about 110 kg at the age of about six to seven months.²⁰ In pigs a few breeds dominate breeding, such as the Pietrain. The number of piglets per breeding sow per year is an economic parameter which has been continuously increased.²¹

Due to the great strain that is placed on the breeding sows, the average age is barley three years. The constantly increasing performance requirements put a strain on animal health.