Why Has Commercial Chicken Become So Cheap?

What changed?

A few decades ago, chicken was considered a luxury. Today, it’s one of the cheapest meats on the market. What changed? Modern commercial farming focused on efficiency above all else—fast-growing broiler breeds, confined housing, automated feeding, and industrialized processing. As a result, chickens now reach market weight in just 35–40 days, less than half the time it took in the 1960s. [Our World in Data, 2023]

Feed optimization and selective breeding also played a big role, pushing growth rates up while lowering per-bird costs. But there’s a hidden price: the focus on cheap production has meant crowded sheds, routine antibiotic use, welfare issues, and meat with less flavor and nutritional balance. [FAO, 2020]

So yes, chicken is cheaper than ever—but sometimes the true cost is not on the price tag, but on health and sustainability.