By Dr. Asep Anang

Modern broilers are the result of a long journey of genetic improvement that has transformed chickens into the world’s most efficient source of animal protein, while also demanding increasingly precise management at the farm level.

Imagine a chick hatched today that needs only about 30 days to reach a body weight of 2 kilograms. A century ago, chickens required more than 100 days to reach just 1 kilogram. This remarkable difference is no coincidence. It is the outcome of one of the most successful livestock breeding programs in human history.

For nearly a century, scientists, animal breeders, and poultry genetics companies around the world have worked tirelessly to develop chickens that grow faster, convert feed more efficiently, and produce larger quantities of animal protein at progressively lower costs. The results are now found on dining tables every day across the globe, including in Indonesia.

In Indonesia, broiler chickens have become the backbone of the country’s animal protein supply. National chicken meat production reaches millions of tons annually, supporting the growing demand for poultry consumption. Yet behind this success, few people fully understand how the modern broiler was actually developed. The broilers raised by farmers today are not simply ordinary chickens provided with better feed or housed in more advanced facilities. They are the end product of an exceptionally long and carefully measured process of genetic selection.

A Long Journey of Genetic Improvement

Modern broilers are essentially the cumulative result of thousands of selection decisions made over dozens of generations. At the beginning of the 20th century, broiler chickens grew relatively slowly, required large amounts of feed, and produced far less meat than today’s birds. As quantitative genetics and breeding technologies advanced, poultry genetics companies began selecting the best-performing individuals based on a wide range of production traits. Generation after generation, only the highest-performing birds were chosen to produce the next generation.

The results have been extraordinary. In 1925, a 30-day-old broiler weighed only about 300 grams. By 2022, birds of the same age could weigh nearly 2 kilograms—an increase of more than sixfold in less than a century.

Figure 1. Growth in 30-Day Broiler Body Weight (1925–2022)
Source: National Chicken Council, 2022.

The improvement extends beyond body weight. Feed efficiency has also advanced dramatically. The Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), which was once around 4.0, has now improved to approximately 1.6. In practical terms, this means that only about 1.6 kilograms of feed are required to produce 1 kilogram of body weight gain. This exceptional efficiency is one of the key reasons why chicken meat has become one of the world’s most affordable sources of animal protein.

This article is an excerpt from the Opinion column in Poultry Indonesia Magazine, June 2026 edition. Read the full article in the June 2026 issue of Poultry Indonesia Magazine. For subscriptions or further information, contact: https://wa.me/+6287780120754 or sirkulasipoultry@gmail.com.

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