The report covers four main areas: changes in global broiler production and performance, advances in broiler breeding technology, genetic changes in important economic traits, and supporting nutrition and feeding systems. The global broiler industry is growing steadily, with emerging markets becoming a driver of growth. Domestic broiler production continues to expand, breeding technology is advancing more rapidly, and the performance of domestically bred white-feather broiler varieties continues to improve. At the same time, breeding progress needs to be matched with appropriate nutrition and feeding management systems to promote the healthy development of the industry.
Changes in Global Broiler Production and Performance2025 Global broiler production reached 1.08 hundred million tonnes, achieving its highest growth rate in nearly five years. Production is forecast at 1.10 hundred million tonnes in 2026. Emerging broiler-producing countries such as Türkiye and the Philippines are rising rapidly, and global broiler production capacity is concentrating in the leading producing countries. Domestic broilers are divided into three categories: yellow-feathered broilers, white-feathered broilers, and small white-feathered broilers. In 2025, the number of broilers marketed nationwide was 156.4 hundred million. In the first half of 2026, the number marketed continued to grow faster than expected. Compared with the production performance of commercial white-feathered broilers in China and the United States, weight gain in China improved more than in the United States, while the survival rate also remained high.
Changes in Broiler Breeding Technology
The integration of biotechnology and information technology is driving the upgrading of breeding models. Leading domestic white-feathered and yellow-feathered broiler breeding companies have reached the level of keeping pace internationally. Phenotypic measurement is moving beyond traditional manual measurement: B-ultrasound, CT, and individual feed intake measurement equipment are being used to intelligently and precisely measure traits such as carcass characteristics and feed intake in live chickens, providing reliable foundational data for genetic evaluation.
AI technology is being deeply applied to poultry breeding, with intelligent breeding decision-making platforms being built and multiple practical detection agents developed.X-ray leg diseaseRecognize and implement automated screening for leg health; H/L cell recognition enables high-throughput assessment of immune stress in chicken flocks; CASA semen analysis enables standardized evaluation of sperm quality. Genomic selection combined with an AI breeding system enables genetic progress in white-feather broilers to reach more than 2 times that of conventional breeding, saving 2‑3 generations of selection and breeding, and helping breeding work move from keeping pace to taking the lead.
Genetic changes in important economic traits
International broiler companies adopt a balanced breeding approach, avoiding a one-sided focus on growth rate; the selection weight for health and welfare traits exceeds1/3, continually updating nutritional standards, extending the productive lifespan of breeding stock, and advancing non-beak trimmingand welfare-oriented rearing systems. Extensive genetic mechanism research has been conducted domestically, measuring more than 20 ten thousand individuals and analyzing traits such as feed efficiency, egg production performance, meat quality, and disease resistance. A number of key gene loci have been identified, and multiple research results have been produced.
Studies have confirmed the existence of gene–nutrition interactions. When selection environments and production diets differ too greatly, the genetic potential of a breed cannot be fully realized, so nutritional formulations must be adjusted in step with breeding progress. Feed efficiency-related traits have moderate heritability, leaving room for continued improvement. Domestic broiler chickensenteritis lesionshave a higher incidence rate than the global average, and intestinal health can also be included as a breeding selection criterion.
Nutrition and rearing support systems
Breeding stock rearing is divided into six stages: 0‑4 weeks, 4‑16 weeks, 16‑22 weeks, 22‑35 weeks, 35‑50 weeks, and 50‑65 weeks. Each stage focuses, respectively, on skeletal and organ development, body composition shaping, reproductive activation, reproductive release, production efficiency, and control of reproductive decline. Genetic gains from breeding must be matched with stage-specific nutrition programs and scientific rearing management to fully realize the performance potential of the breed.
Overall, China has made significant progress in independent poultry breeding. Domestically bred white-feather broiler chickens have an advantage in reproductive performance, and their feed conversion has caught up with international levels. However, breeding is not an isolated process. It is important to pay attention to interactions between genes and the nutritional environment, and to provide supporting nutrition and rearing management, to promote the high-quality development of the white-feather broiler industry.